Vena Cava Cannula With Balloon Anchoring and Three-Chamber Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery poses challenges in securing a tight mechanical connection between cannulas and veins, making it difficult to isolate blood flow within the cannula, especially when using endoscopic techniques.

Innovation Solution

A cannula design featuring a plastic tube with three longitudinal chambers, a round end with longitudinal holes for blood inflow, a balloon for anchoring, and a flexible cone for sealing, along with a removable stiffener and integrated needle for precise placement, allowing for secure and minimally invasive cannulation of the vena cava.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a balloon or flange is added to the distal part of the cannula to enable effective vein closing, then the isolation of blood flow is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblood flow isolationVSAvoidcannula structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cannula is divided into three longitudinal chambers: a main chamber for blood flow and two lateral chambers for balloon inflation. This segmentation allows the blood isolation function to be separated from the anchoring function, enabling effective vein closing without compromising the simplicity of the cannula structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

An inflatable balloon is introduced as an intermediary element between the cannula and the vein wall. The balloon serves as a mediator that expands to press against the vein wall, creating effective isolation and anchoring without requiring complex mechanical clamping structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If a rigid trocar is used as a guide for placing the cannula, then the placement precision is improved, but the tissue damage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecannula placement precisionVSAvoidtissue damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cannula incorporates a removable stiffener that can be inserted to provide rigidity during placement and then removed to allow the cannula to become flexible. This dynamic adjustment of rigidity enables precise placement guided by the stiffener while minimizing tissue damage during the actual cannulation process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The stiffener is designed as a separate, removable component that is extracted from the cannula after serving its guidance function. This allows the cannula to transition from a rigid placement tool to a flexible blood flow conduit, reducing tissue damage while maintaining placement precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If the cannula is designed with a curved distal part to facilitate anchoring, then the blood flow isolation is improved, but the ease of operation decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevein closing effectivenessVSAvoidcannula insertion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The distal part of the cannula is pre-formed with a curved shape during manufacturing to facilitate anchoring in the vein. This preliminary curvature allows the cannula to follow the natural anatomy of the vein, improving blood flow isolation while reducing the difficulty of insertion during surgery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design provides secure blood isolation during minimally invasive cardiac surgery, reducing preparation time and minimizing tissue damage, while allowing for adaptable usage across various surgical techniques.

Implementation Method 1

An inflated balloon is mounted on the distal part to facilitate anchoring of the cannula in the vessel. In the central part there is a second, generally cylindrical balloon located peripherally, which increases the diameter of the cannula lumen as a result of pumping.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

The tube is terminated from the proximal side with a flexible cone, sealing the cannula light tightly

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical sealing: Mechanical Fastener

Implementation Method 3

In the reinforced part, the cannula tube retains shape memory. Inside the second lateral chamber the removable stiffener is located

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical reinforcement: Mechanical Fastener

Data Source

PatentUS12121260B2Cannula for percutaneous minimally invasive cannulation of the vena cava

Publication Date: 2024.10.22 MEDINICE SA

AI summary

A cannula comprising a plastic tube having three longitudinal chambers, including a main chamber, a first lateral chamber and a second lateral chamber, and at least one reinforced section ensuring constant internal diameter, wherein the cannula is equipped from the distal side with a round end narrowing towards the end, in which there are longitudinal holes of a size enabling free venous blood flow, and a balloon. A fragment of the reinforced tube section located below the balloon is bent under an angle α of approximately 90°. From the proximal side, the tube ends with a flexible cone, sealing the cannula tightly, inside which there is a valve closing the main chamber and a port for inflating the balloon connected to the first lateral chamber.