Patent Application
20250195221
The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to catheter implant systems and included associated device, prosthetic heart valves and method.
In the prior art, a transcatheter implant system mainly includes a prosthetic implant and an interventional delivery system for delivering the prosthetic implant into the body of a subject. Common prosthetic implants include prosthetic heart valves, which may be prosthetic aortic valves, prosthetic pulmonary valves, prosthetic mitral valves, prosthetic tricuspid valves, etc., depending on their specific application sites. The prosthetic heart valve is usually compressed to a smaller diameter outside the body and then delivered to the intended position using an interventional delivery system.
The existing interventional delivery system mainly includes a control handle, a catheter assembly, a locking wire structure, a deflection assembly and other functional components. The control handle operates the catheter assembly to deliver the prosthetic implant loaded in the catheter assembly to the lesion site. The deployment of the prosthetic implant can be achieved by self-expansion or by expanding the prosthetic implant outward from within using a balloon catheter. The interventional delivery system includes a plurality of controlled components, and the distal ends of the controlled components cooperate with each other to manipulate the prosthetic heart valve, such as releasing, retrieving, locking in position, and adjusting spatial orientation.
In the balloon expansion method, precise fine-tuning of the movement of the outer sheath is not strictly required. However, improvements in the control handle are needed to enhance the flexibility of outer sheath operation. Additionally, in some balloon-expansion procedures, the prosthetic implant may experience displacement or misalignment during the early stages of deployment, posing potential safety risks. Some existing solutions in the prior art have attempted to address these issues, but their effectiveness remains suboptimal.
The present disclosure provides an interventional delivery system that enhances the flexibility of outer sheath operation.
The present disclosure provides an interventional delivery system, including a catheter assembly and a control handle connected to the catheter assembly, wherein the catheter assembly has a distal end and a proximal end opposite to each other and includes an inner sheath and an outer sheath slidably engaged with each other, the outer sheath includes a loading section and a sheath section sequentially from a distal end to a proximal end, and the loading section is configured to enclose a prosthetic implant and keep the prosthetic implant in a compressed state;
The control handle includes:
The following provides several optional implementations, which are not additional limitations to the overall solution but serve as further supplements or optimizations. Provided there are no technical or logical conflicts, each optional implementation can be independently combined with the overall solution or combined with other optional implementations.
Optionally, the auxiliary handle includes:
Optionally, the housing is formed by separate pieces in a snap-fit structure, with an engagement and positioning structure provided between the inner wall of the housing and the outer circumference of the connecting sleeve.
Optionally, the housing includes two half-shells snapped with each other in the radial direction of the connecting sleeve, and end caps respectively located at the axial ends of the two half-shells. The end caps are fixed to the two half-shells via either a snap-fit or a threaded connection.
Optionally, the sliding range of the auxiliary handle relative to the main handle is in the range of 10 to 40 cm.
Optionally, a side wall of the connecting sleeve defines a first vent hole in communication with the threading channel, a first pipe joint is fixedly connected to the first vent hole, the first vent hole and the first pipe joint define a first vent channel, and a one-way valve core is provided in the first vent channel.
Optionally, a first annular seat is arranged around the first vent hole, and the first pipe joint is inserted and mated with the first annular seat, with an anti-rotation structure provided between the first pipe joint and the first annular seat.
Optionally, a first protective sleeve arranged around the first pipe joint is embedded in the housing, and a pipeline insertion gap is defined between an outer wall of the first pipe joint and an inner wall of the first protective sleeve.
Optionally, the anti-rotation structure includes:
The present disclosure further provides a vent structure on a control handle. The control handle is provided with a first vent hole, a first pipe joint is fixedly connected to the first vent hole, the first vent hole and the first pipe joint define a first vent channel, and a one-way valve core is provided in the first vent channel.
The one-way valve core can be applied to the auxiliary handle. For example, optionally, the one-way valve core has a sealed state and an open state, and the one-way valve core specifically includes:
Optionally, the inner wall of the first pipe joint is provided with a retaining ring surrounding the outer periphery of the limiting rod, and the fluid gap is located between an outer periphery of the retaining ring and the inner wall of the first pipe joint;
The end of the limiting rod away from the sealing sheet passes through the retaining ring and has a head; in the open state, the head abuts against the retaining ring, and the sealing sheet is away from the retaining ring and opens the fluid gap; in the sealed state, the head is away from the retaining ring, and the sealing sheet abuts against the retaining ring and closes the fluid gap.
Optionally, the inner wall of the first pipe joint is provided with a retaining ring surrounding the outer periphery of the limiting rod, and the fluid gap is located between an outer periphery of the retaining ring and the inner wall of the first pipe joint;
The end of the limiting rod away from the sealing sheet passes through the retaining ring and has a head restricted by the retaining ring, the head and the sealing sheet are fixed on two opposite sides of the retaining ring, and an edge of the sealing sheet is elastically deformable to open or close the fluid gap.
Optionally, the positioning member includes an elastic claw, one end of the elastic claw is fixed to the connecting sleeve, and the other end is a free end that is capable of swinging in a radial direction of the connecting sleeve.
Optionally, the elastic claw and the connecting sleeve are formed in one piece.
Optionally, there are two to six (for example, four) elastic claws distributed in a circumferential direction of the connecting sleeve.
Optionally, the driving member is cylindrical and slidably fitted over the connecting sleeve, and the inner wall of the driving member acts on the elastic claws.
Optionally, in the radial direction of the connecting sleeve, an outer side of the elastic claw is provided with a guide slope, and an inner wall of the driving member acts on the guide slope.
Optionally, an elastic liner is provided inside the connecting sleeve, and the elastic claw acts on an outer wall of the elastic liner to restrict the threading channel by compressing the elastic liner.
Optionally, a distal end of the elastic liner extends out of the connecting sleeve, and the extended portion is provided with a radially outwardly protruding positioning step; in the axial direction, the positioning step is axially positioned and matched with an end face of the connecting sleeve and/or an inner wall of the housing.
Optionally, a guiding structure is provided between an inner wall of the driving member and an outer wall of the connecting sleeve.
The guiding structure includes:
Optionally, an operation button is provided on the outer wall of the driving member, and a first clearance opening corresponding to the position of the operation button is opened on the housing.
Optionally, the side wall of the driving member defines a second clearance opening. The side wall of the connecting sleeve defines a vent hole that corresponds to the threading channel. In the axial direction of the connecting sleeve, the position of the second clearance opening corresponds to the position of the vent hole.
Optionally, the catheter assembly further includes a balloon catheter, and the balloon catheter includes:
Optionally, a fluid guide member is provided in the balloon body and is located around the inner sheath, and the fluid guide member defines a diversion channel that communicates a distal end and a proximal end of the balloon body.
Optionally, the fluid guide member is tubular, and the diversion channel is positioned in at least one of the following ways relative to the fluid guide member:
Optionally, the diversion channel includes a diversion groove opened on an outer circumferential wall of the fluid guide member.
Optionally, the distal side and the proximal side of the fluid guide member are adjacent to the distal side and the proximal side of the balloon body, respectively.
Optionally, there are a plurality of diversion grooves, which are distributed in a circumferential direction of the fluid guide member, and each diversion groove extends in an axial direction of the fluid guide member or in a helical pattern.
Optionally, in the circumferential direction of the fluid guide member, a wrap angle of each diversion groove is in a range of 0 to 180 degrees.
Optionally, a communication groove is defined between two adjacent diversion grooves.
Optionally, a plurality of communication grooves arranged at intervals are provided, while the communication grooves at a same axial position form an annular groove.
Optionally, a fluid guide member is provided around the inner sheath, the fluid guide member is tubular and is located inside the balloon body, a tube wall of the fluid guide member defines a hollow area, and the hollow area extends continuously or intermittently from a distal side of the fluid guide member to a proximal side of the fluid guide member.
Optionally, there is a radial gap between the fluid guide member and the inner sheath and serves as the diversion channel.
When the fluid guide member is tubular, it is a flow guide tube located around the inner sheath, the radial gap between the flow guide tube and the inner sheath serves as a fluid channel for delivering fluid to inflate the balloon body.
In view of the related improvements of the flow guide tube, the present disclosure further provides an interventional delivery device based on balloon expansion deployment, which has opposite distal and proximal ends and includes an inner shaft and a balloon catheter located around the inner shaft, wherein the balloon catheter includes a balloon body and a catheter body in communication with a proximal end of the balloon body, the balloon body includes a first part, a middle part and a second part from a distal end to a proximal end, the middle part is configured for loading and fixing a prosthetic implant, and the catheter body has a main flow channel;
The inner shaft can generally be a tube, and the interior of the tube can be used for a guide wire to pass through during intervention. The tube can also be called a core tube or an inner sheath. When the interventional delivery device is used based on balloon expansion, it is equivalent to a balloon device.
The present disclosure further provides an interventional delivery device based on balloon expansion deployment, which has opposite distal and proximal ends and includes an inner shaft and a balloon catheter located around the inner shaft, wherein the balloon catheter includes a balloon body and a catheter body in communication with a proximal end of the balloon body, the balloon body includes a first part, a middle part and a second part from a distal end to a proximal end, and the middle part is configured for loading and fixing a prosthetic implant;
Optionally, a radial gap between the inner shaft and the catheter body serves as a main flow channel, and the main flow channel is a single flow channel.
Optionally, a part of the fluid output from the main flow channel to the balloon body enters and inflates the second part, while the other part enters the flow guide tube, passes through the second part and the middle part, and then enters and inflates the first part.
Optionally, a proximal end of the flow guide tube has an open port serving as a fluid inlet.
Optionally, an axial position of the fluid inlet is adjacent to a junction of the balloon body and the catheter body.
Optionally, in a loaded state, the prosthetic implant is radially compressed and encloses the middle part, while the first part and the second part are exposed from both ends of the prosthetic implant; a proximal end of the flow guide tube has a fluid inlet, and the fluid inlet is located in the second part.
Optionally, at a proximal port of the flow guide tube, there is a first gap with a radial span of L1 between the inner shaft and the flow guide tube, and there is a second gap with a radial span of L2 between the inner shaft and the catheter body, and wherein L1:L2=1:1.25 to 1.6.
Optionally, the balloon body is in an inflated state after being infused with fluid, and in the inflated state, the fluid inlet is located at a position where a cross-sectional area of a flow channel of the second part changes abruptly relative to the catheter body.
Optionally, the flow guide tube includes a distal section, a middle section and a proximal section from a distal end to a proximal end corresponding to different parts of the balloon body respectively, and the distal section of the flow guide tube has a first fluid outlet in communication with the first part, and wherein the first fluid outlet is located on a tube wall of the distal section and/or an end face of the distal section.
Optionally, a plurality of first fluid outlets are provided on the tube wall of the distal section.
Optionally, the plurality of first fluid outlets are distributed in a circumferential direction of the flow guide tube.
Optionally, the plurality of first fluid outlets are located in a middle of the distal section in a length direction of the flow guide tube.
Optionally, a proximal end of the flow guide tube and a distal end of the catheter body are interconnected and integrated into one piece, and a tube wall of the proximal section is provided with a second fluid outlet in communication with the second part.
Optionally, a proximal end of the flow guide tube has a tapered section with a gradually converging shape, and at least a part of the tapered section extends into a distal end of the catheter body. Optionally, the tapered section has one or two beveled surfaces.
Optionally, an inner lumen of the flow guide tube is open to the beveled surface and is simultaneously in communication with an inner lumen of the catheter body and an inner cavity of the second part.
Optionally, a spacer is provided between the inner shaft and the flow guide tube in a radial direction to maintain a radial gap between them.
Optionally, the spacer includes a rib located on an inner wall of the flow guide tube.
Optionally, the spacer is a hollow structural component fixed between the inner shaft and the flow guide tube in the radial direction.
Optionally, a guide head is fixed to a distal end of the inner shaft, and a distal end of the flow guide tube is fixed to a proximal side of the guide head.
Optionally, the distal end of the flow guide tube is closed by the guide head.
Optionally, the proximal side of the guide head is provided with a positioning structure adapted to the distal end of the flow guide tube, and the positioning structure is a coupling groove for inserting the flow guide tube or a coupling column for inserting the flow guide tube.
The interventional delivery device of the present disclosure improves the delivery and diversion method of the fluid for the balloon expansion method. During the deployment process of the prosthetic implant, axial slippage can be avoided to ensure the positioning effect.
The present disclosure provides a method for driving a balloon catheter with fluid, wherein the balloon catheter has a distal end and a proximal end opposite to each other and includes a balloon body and a catheter body, a distal end of the catheter body is connected to a proximal end of the balloon body, the balloon body includes a first part, a middle part and a second part from a distal end to a proximal end, the middle part is configured for loading and fixing a prosthetic implant, the catheter body has a main flow channel, and the method includes steps of:
Optionally, all fluid for inflating the balloon body is supplied from the main flow channel before being diverted.
Optionally, the diverting step includes:
Optionally, all the fluid enters the independent flow channel from the main flow channel, and the independent flow channel is in communication with a branch flow channel, wherein a part of the fluid enters and inflates the second part through the branch flow channel when flowing through the second part, and the other part enters and inflates the first part after passing through the second part and the middle part through the independent flow channel.
Optionally, the method further includes:
Optionally, the fluid is split into two streams, with each stream including one or more sub-streams.
Optionally, the sub-streams of the same stream are radially distributed.
Optionally, the prosthetic implant is a cylindrical structure, and the fluid entering the independent flow channel passes through the middle part through an interior of the cylindrical structure.
Optionally, the balloon body has an axial direction extending between the distal end and the proximal end and corresponding radial and circumferential directions, and the step of inflating the first part includes:
Optionally, the catheter assembly further includes a deflectable tube and a traction member for driving the deflectable tube, the deflectable tube is fitted over the inner sheath, distal ends of the deflectable tube and the traction member are fixedly connected, and proximal ends of the deflectable tube and the traction member are connected to the main handle and are in relative sliding fit.
Optionally, the deflectable tube and the traction member are both located on an outer periphery of the catheter body.
Optionally, the catheter assembly further includes a deflectable tube and a traction member for driving the deflectable tube, the deflectable tube is fitted over the inner sheath, distal ends of the deflectable tube and the traction member are fixedly connected, and proximal ends of the deflectable tube and the traction member are connected to the main handle and are in relative sliding fit.
Optionally, the traction member is arranged in the following manner:
Optionally, a wall of the deflectable tube has an interlayer structure, within which a lining tube is fixed, and the traction member is movably arranged in the lining tube.
Optionally, the main handle includes:
Optionally, the first driving sleeve has an internal thread and an external thread, the first sliding seat has an external tooth that matches with the internal thread, and the identification member has an internal tooth that matches with the external thread.
Optionally, the identification member and the first sliding seat are configured to move synchronously under an action of the first driving sleeve.
Optionally, a view window corresponding to the identification member in position is provided on a side wall of the indicating section.
Optionally, an installation groove extending axially is provided in the support body, a guide cylinder is fixed in the installation groove, the first sliding seat is slidably fitted over the guide cylinder, and a guiding structure is provided between the first sliding seat and an outer wall of the guide cylinder to guide the axial movement.
Optionally, the proximal end of the deflectable tube is inserted into and fixed to the guide cylinder.
Optionally, when the auxiliary handle slides proximally to an extreme position, the distal end of the deflectable tube is exposed from the outer sheath, with an exposure length ranging from 0 to 20 cm.
The present disclosure further provides a vent structure on a control handle. The control handle is provided with a second vent hole, a second pipe joint is fixedly connected to the second vent hole, the second vent hole and the second pipe joint define a second vent channel, and a one-way valve core is provided in the second vent channel.
The one-way valve core can be applied to the main handle. For example, optionally, a second vent hole is defined on a side wall of the guide cylinder, a radial gap between the deflectable tube and the catheter body is in communication with the second vent hole, and a proximal end of the catheter body passes through the proximal end of the deflectable tube and further extends through the guide cylinder; A second pipe joint is fixedly connected at the second vent hole, the second vent hole and the second pipe joint define a second vent channel, and a one-way valve core is provided in the second vent channel.
Optionally, the one-way valve core has a sealed state and an open state, and the one-way valve core specifically includes:
Optionally, a second annular seat is provided around the second vent hole, and the second pipe joint is inserted and mated with the second annular seat, with an anti-rotation structure provided between the second pipe joint and the second annular seat.
Optionally, a second protective sleeve is provided around the second pipe joint, and a pipeline insertion gap is defined between an outer wall of the second pipe joint and an inner wall of the second protective sleeve.
Optionally, the anti-rotation structure includes:
Optionally, the inner wall of the second pipe joint is provided with a retaining ring surrounding the outer periphery of the limiting rod, and the fluid gap is located between an outer periphery of the retaining ring and the inner wall of the second pipe joint;
Optionally, the main handle includes:
Optionally, the multi-way connector and the proximal side of the second sliding seat are rotatably engaged with each other and axially limited relative to each other.
Optionally, the second sliding seat is generally cylindrical and at least partially housed within the second driving sleeve, an outer wall of the second sliding seat is in threaded fit with an inner wall of the second driving sleeve, and the support body has a guide groove for guiding the second sliding seat to move axially.
Optionally, the distal end of the multi-way connector and a proximal end of the second sliding seat are inserted into and rotatably engaged with each other, with an axial limiting structure between the multi-way connector and the second sliding seat, and the axial limiting structure includes:
Optionally, the interventional delivery system may also be combined with a prosthetic implant to form a transcatheter implant system, and the prosthetic implant is radially compressed and then enclosed by an outer sheath.
The present disclosure further provides an improved prosthetic implant, the prosthetic implant includes a stent and leaflets, the stent has a cell structure, two ends of the stent are respectively an inflow side and an outflow side, and an interior of the stent is a blood flow channel;
The stent is connected with an anti-paravalvular leakage component, which is formed in one piece and includes a base inside the stent and anti-paravalvular leakage elements fixed to an outside of the base, and the anti-paravalvular leakage elements are spaced apart and block-shaped and aligned with hollow areas of the stent's cells.
Optionally, the base is made of PET material, and the anti-paravalvular leakage element is made of PU material.
Optionally, depending on different axial positions of corresponding cells, the anti-paravalvular leakage elements include a first row of anti-paravalvular leakage elements and at least one of a second row of anti-paravalvular leakage elements and a third row of anti-paravalvular leakage elements, wherein the first row of anti-paravalvular leakage elements cover entire corresponding cells;
Optionally, axial lengths of the second row of anti-paravalvular leakage elements and the third row of anti-paravalvular leakage elements are only half a length of a cell respectively, and are adjacent to the first row of anti-paravalvular leakage elements.
Optionally, each anti-paravalvular leakage element, from an outflow side thereof to an inflow side thereof, gradually increases in thickness, and then gradually decreases in thickness after reaching a maximum outward protrusion.
Optionally, for each anti-paravalvular leakage element, the maximum outward protrusion is closer to an inflow side of a corresponding cell.
Optionally, for each anti-paravalvular leakage element, a distance from the maximum outward protrusion to the inflow side of the corresponding cell is S1, and a distance from the maximum outward protrusion to an outflow side of the corresponding cell is S2, wherein S1:S2 is in a range of 0.2 to 0.8.
Optionally, a diameter of the loading section is larger than a diameter of the sheath section.
Optionally, a distal end of the inner sheath is provided with a guide head, an outer circumference of the guide head is provided with an annular step, and a distal end surface of the loading section abuts against the annular step for position limitation.
The interventional delivery system of the present disclosure separates the movement of the outer sheath from other internal tubes, while also releasing the restriction on the length of the main handle, making the operation of the outer sheath more flexible.
The present disclosure provides a limiting mechanism, namely a blocking mechanism, which provides a relatively long-lasting blocking effect during the initial stage of interventional delivery and deployment of the prosthetic heart valve.
The present disclosure provides a limiting mechanism for an interventional delivery system, including:
Optionally, the coupling portion is in a straight cylindrical shape, and the rods are distributed radially, with the first ends of the rods converging at one axial end of the coupling portion.
Optionally, the coupling portion is a radially deformable annular structure.
Optionally, the coupling portion is an axially undulating wave structure with opposite peaks and valleys, and the first ends of the rods are connected to corresponding peaks.
Optionally, the coupling portion and the deformable portion are formed in one piece.
Optionally, the coupling portion and the deformable portion are formed in one piece by cutting a tube.
Optionally, the second ends of the rods are configured to move independently.
Optionally, the rods tend to extend helically around an axis of the coupling portion.
Optionally, the rods have a number in a range of 4 to 10.
Optionally, the second end of the rod has a smooth outer contour and/or is coated with a protective layer.
Optionally, a portion of the rod close to the second end is bent radially inwardly.
Optionally, a portion of the rod close to the second end has a lower radial stiffness than the rest of the rod.
The present disclosure provides another limiting mechanism for an interventional delivery system, which is configured to be installed in a balloon body, wherein the balloon body has a folded state and an inflated state, and in the folded state, the balloon body has a plurality of folds; the limiting mechanism includes:
Optionally, the balloon body is wrapped in a first direction in the circumferential direction in the folded state, and a helical direction of the rods is the same as the first direction.
Optionally, when the balloon body is in the folded state, a second end of at least one rod is not lower than a prosthetic implant in the radial direction.
The present disclosure provides another limiting mechanism for an interventional delivery system, including:
The present disclosure provides a balloon device for delivering a prosthetic implant, including an inner shaft and a balloon body located around the inner shaft, wherein the inner shaft is installed with any of the above-mentioned limiting mechanisms located inside the balloon body.
The inner shaft can generally be a tube, and the interior of the tube can be used for a guide wire to pass through during intervention. The tube can also be called a core tube or an inner sheath.
In view of the various limiting mechanisms provided in the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides an interventional delivery system based on balloon expansion for delivering a prosthetic implant. The interventional delivery system includes a balloon device and an outer sheath, the balloon device includes an inner shaft and a balloon body located around the inner shaft, a plurality of rods arranged in sequence in a circumferential direction are provided at a distal end of the inner shaft, the rods are elastically deformable and have a compressed state suitable for interventional delivery and an expanded state, and each rod has:
Optionally, the rods act on the balloon body so that the outer peripheral surface of the balloon body is roughly flush with the outer peripheral surface of the distal end of the prosthetic implant.
In view of the various limiting mechanisms provided in the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides another interventional delivery system based on balloon expansion for delivering a prosthetic implant, wherein the interventional delivery system has opposite distal and proximal ends and an axial direction extending between the proximal end and the distal end, and the interventional delivery system includes:
In view of the various limiting mechanisms provided in the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides another interventional delivery system based on balloon expansion for delivering a prosthetic implant, the interventional delivery system including:
Optionally, the first end of the rod is connected to a coupling portion connected to the inner shaft, and all the rods constitute a deformable portion.
Optionally, the interventional delivery system further includes a control handle, wherein the control handle is connected to and controls a balloon device, and the balloon device adopts the above-mentioned balloon device.
Optionally, a fluid guide member is provided in the balloon body and is located around the inner shaft, and the fluid guide member defines a diversion channel that communicates a distal end and a proximal end of the balloon body.
The rods of the limiting mechanism of the present disclosure are relatively independent. On the one hand, the prosthetic implant can be deformed and expanded during the expansion process to extend the blocking time and better limit the axial displacement of the prosthetic implant. On the other hand, the traction between the rods in the radial direction is reduced, further ensuring the positioning effect of the prosthetic implant in an eccentric state.
The present disclosure provides a balloon device for delivering a prosthetic heart valve, which provides a relatively long-lasting blocking effect during the initial stage of the interventional delivery and deployment of the prosthetic heart valve.
The present disclosure provides a balloon device for delivering a prosthetic heart valve, including:
Optionally, the plurality of rods are configured to form a side wall of the cage-like structure, and gaps between two adjacent rods on the side wall form hollow areas.
Optionally, the hollow areas include main hollow areas and auxiliary hollow areas, and a span of the main hollow area in the axial direction is greater than a span of the auxiliary hollow area in the axial direction.
Optionally, the main hollow area spans the first end and the second end.
Optionally, the cage-like structure has an outward expansion part, the outward expansion part has a maximum outer diameter of the cage-like structure, and the main hollow area extends across the outward expansion part.
Optionally, the main hollow areas and the auxiliary hollow areas are distributed in sequence at intervals in a circumferential direction.
Optionally, the limiting mechanism is located inside or outside the balloon body.
Optionally, at least one of the catheter body and the balloon body is directly fixed to the limiting mechanism, or is indirectly fixed to the limiting mechanism through an intermediate piece.
Optionally, the balloon device further includes an inner shaft (as the intermediate piece) which extends through the catheter body and the balloon body; the limiting mechanism further includes:
Optionally, the coupling member is located inside or outside the limiting body.
Optionally, the coupling member is located at at least one end of the limiting body in the axial direction. Optionally, the outer diameter ratio of the outward expansion part to the coupling member is in a range of 2-4:1, preferably 3:1.
The present disclosure further provides a balloon device for delivering a prosthetic heart valve, including:
Optionally, the balloon device further includes an inner shaft which extends through the catheter body and the balloon body; the limiting mechanism further includes a coupling member fixed to the inner shaft and connected to the limiting body.
Optionally, a concave area for accommodating an end of the prosthetic heart valve is defined between a side of the limiting body on the first end and the coupling member on that side.
The present disclosure further provides a balloon device for delivering a prosthetic heart valve, including:
Optionally, the polygon is a regular polygon with 4 to 12 sides.
Optionally, the regular polygon has 6 to 8 sides.
Optionally, one end of the limiting body is the first end facing the prosthetic heart valve when in use, and the other end is the opposite second end, and both ends of the limiting body are converged toward a central axis of the limiting body.
Optionally, the rods extend from the first end to the second end to form a sphere or an ellipsoid.
Optionally, a cross-section of the ellipsoid is an elliptical surface, and a major axis of the elliptical surface is consistent with the axial direction.
Optionally, the cage-like structure is formed by a plurality of rods, and the rods extend from the first end to the second end to form a cone.
Optionally, the cone includes a first cone and a second cone.
Optionally, the first cone and the second cone are located on both sides or on the same side of the outward expansion part.
Optionally, when the first cone and the second cone are located on both sides of the outward expansion part, the first cone and the second cone gradually converge in shape from the outward expansion part, with different converging trends.
Optionally, one end of the limiting body is the first end facing the prosthetic heart valve when in use, and the other end is the opposite second end, wherein the first cone is connected to the first end, and the first cone has a steeper converging trend.
Optionally, the first cone and the second cone intersect at the outward expansion part, and an angle at the intersection is in a range of 20 to 120 degrees.
Optionally, when the first cone and the second cone are on the same side of the outward expansion part, one end of the limiting body is the first end facing the prosthetic heart valve when in use, and the other end is the opposite second end, wherein the first cone is connected to the first end, and the first cone is converged in a direction away from the first end.
Optionally, the balloon device further includes an inner shaft, which extends through the catheter body and the balloon body; the limiting mechanism further includes a coupling member, which is connected to the inner shaft, and the coupling member is in a radially compressible tubular shape.
Optionally, the coupling member has a wave structure that undulates in the axial direction or has a deformable mesh structure.
Optionally, there are two coupling members, the cage-like structure is formed by a plurality of rods, all the rods define a side wall of the cage-like structure, and all the rods extend from one coupling member to the other coupling member and have at least one branch on their extension path, or intersect with adjacent rods.
Optionally, a plurality of junction points of two rods are distributed at intervals in a circumferential direction of the outward expansion part.
Optionally, the rods are arranged in pairs and extend side by side from one of the coupling members.
Optionally, the main hollow areas have a number in a range of 4 to 12.
Optionally, the number of the main hollow areas is in a range of 6 to 8.
Optionally, the main hollow areas have the same shape and are evenly arranged in a circumferential direction.
Optionally, the main hollow area is elongated.
Optionally, in the axial direction, a length of the main hollow area is at least 40% of a total length of the limiting body.
Optionally, the length of the main hollow area is at least 60% of the total length of the limiting body.
Optionally, a length of the main hollow area is 75% to 100% of a total length of the limiting body.
Optionally, in the axial direction, the main hollow area extends to both sides of the outward expansion part, and the extended length is at least 20% of a total length of the limiting body.
Optionally, the main hollow area is diamond-shaped.
Optionally, the hollow areas of the cage-like structure include the main hollow areas and the corresponding auxiliary hollow areas, wherein the auxiliary hollow areas avoid the outward expansion part. Optionally, the limiting mechanism is formed in one piece by cutting a pipe.
Optionally, the tube has an initial outer diameter D1, the coupling member has an outer diameter D2, and the outer diameter D2 of at least one coupling member is smaller than D1.
The present disclosure further provides a balloon device for delivering a prosthetic heart valve, having a distal end and a proximal end opposite to each other, including:
Optionally, the guide tube is connected to a proximal side of the limiting body.
Optionally, there are two limiting bodies, which are respectively connected to a proximal side and a distal side of the guide tube.
Optionally, the cage-like structures of the two limiting bodies are independent of each other.
Optionally, the balloon body includes a first part, a middle part and a second part from a distal end to a proximal end, and the middle part is configured for loading and fixing the prosthetic heart valve;
Optionally, a first coupling member and a second coupling member located at a distal end of the first coupling member are provided and located around the inner shaft, at least one coupling member is fixed to the inner shaft, and a distal part of the balloon body wraps the second coupling member.
Optionally, the second coupling member is located at a proximal end of the guide tube and is adjacent to a connection of the balloon body and the catheter body.
Optionally, a proximal end of the guide tube has a diameter-reduced section and is connected to the corresponding coupling member through the diameter-reduced section.
Optionally, the guide tube has a fluid inlet, and the fluid inlet is defined on the diameter-reduced section and/or a circumferential wall of the guide tube.
Optionally, a circumferential wall of the guide tube has a hollowed-out gap.
Optionally, the limiting mechanism is formed in one piece by cutting a tube.
Optionally, the tube has an initial outer diameter D1, the guide tube has an outer diameter D1, the coupling member has an outer diameter D2, and the outer diameter D2 of at least one coupling member is smaller than D1.
The present disclosure further provides a transcatheter implant intervention system, including the balloon device described in the present disclosure and a prosthetic implant. For example, the balloon device includes:
Optionally, the transcatheter implant intervention system further includes an outer sheath that is slidably fitted over the balloon device, and the limiting body has a loaded state, an intermediate state, and an expanded state;
Optionally, the outer sheath is a catheter sheath.
Optionally, the prosthetic implant is a prosthetic heart valve.
The present disclosure improves the limiting mechanism to make it more suitable for interventional delivery of the prosthetic implant and for cooperation with the deployment based on balloon expansion.
The present disclosure provides a prosthetic heart valve, including a first stent and a plurality of leaflets, wherein the first stent is a radially deformable cylindrical structure, an interior of the first stent is a blood flow channel, and the leaflets cooperate with each other to control the blood flow channel; the first stent has a cell structure formed by struts, the first stent is in a straight cylindrical shape, the cell structure includes diamond-shaped cells, an end of the first stent has an eyelet structure protruding from the end, and the eyelet structure is formed by struts at the end; the first stent has an expanded state and a compressed state, wherein in the compressed state, the eyelet structure protrudes from the end by a distance of L1, and in the expanded state, the eyelet structure protrudes from the end by a distance of L2, and L1>L2≥0.
Optionally, the cell structure of the first stent forms a plurality of nodes at the end; in the expanded state, the eyelet structure is basically flush with surrounding nodes, and in the compressed state, the eyelet structure is higher than the surrounding nodes.
Optionally, L1:L2 is in a range of 1.2 to 1.6:1.
Optionally, L1 is in a range of 0.6 to 0.8 mm, and L2 is in a range of 0.4 to 0.6 mm.
Optionally, in the expanded state, the eyelet structure is generally an arc-shaped structure, and in the compressed state, the eyelet structure approximates a circular structure.
Optionally, the prosthetic heart valve is a prosthetic pulmonary valve or a prosthetic aortic valve.
Optionally, in the expanded state, the struts at the end are bent into an arc shape and define an edge of the eyelet structure.
Optionally, the first stent has eyelet structures at both axial ends, and circumferential positions of the eyelet structures at both ends are the same or staggered.
Optionally, a cell with the eyelet structure is a first cell, a cell adjacent to the first cell in a circumferential direction is a second cell, and within the first cell, the struts around the eyelet structure include:
Optionally, an angle between the connecting segments on both sides of the arc segment is A1, an inner angle of a node located at an axial end of the second cell is A2, and A1 is greater than A2 in the expanded state.
Optionally, in the expanded state, a central angle corresponding to the arc segment is in a range of 150 to 210 degrees.
Optionally, in the expanded state, a span of the arc segment in the circumferential direction of the first stent accounts for ¼ to ½ of a span of the first cell, for example, about ⅓.
Optionally, in the first cell, a strength of the struts around the eyelet structure is less than that of other struts of the first cell.
Optionally, the cell structure of the first stent includes a plurality of rows of cells, and two axially adjacent rows are staggered in a circumferential direction and share some struts; for example, 3 to 6 rows, and for another example, 5 rows. In the expanded state, an inner angle of a node of each cell is in a range of 75 to 105 degrees, for example, 90 degrees, in which case the cell is basically a square.
Optionally, the prosthetic heart valve further includes a skirt connected to and surrounded by an inner wall of the first stent, and one axial side of the skirt is connected to the leaflets.
Optionally, the prosthetic heart valve further includes a sealing member arranged in a circumferential direction of the first stent, the sealing member is fixed to the skirt and protrudes from a radial inner side of the first stent to a radial outer side of the first stent via corresponding cells.
Optionally, the skirt and the sealing member are formed in one piece or separate pieces which are fixed by bonding, and both the skirt and the sealing member are made of PU material.
Optionally, the sealing member includes:
Optionally, the sealing member further includes:
Optionally, the skirt is made of biological pericardial material, and the inner lining film is sutured to the skirt.
To improve the connection of the leaflets, the present disclosure further provides a prosthetic heart valve, including a stent (i.e., the first stent) and a plurality of leaflets connected to the stent, wherein the stent is a cylindrical structure and has a blood flow channel inside;
Optionally, the leaflet includes:
Optionally, a joint of the commissure tabs between two adjacent leaflets connected through the first sutures contacts a radial inner side of the support bar.
Optionally, the commissure tabs between two adjacent leaflets cooperate with each other to wrap the support bar.
Optionally, the knots of the second sutures are wrapped by the commissure tabs, and the knots of the third sutures are exposed from the commissure tabs.
Optionally, two axial sides of the stent are opposite inflow and outflow sides, and a row of hexagonal cells is arranged circumferentially on the outflow side, with the support bar serving as a common side between two adjacent cells.
Optionally, an extension direction of the support bar is consistent with an axial direction of the stent.
The present disclosure further provides a transcatheter implant system, including a balloon device and a prosthetic heart valve. The balloon device and the prosthetic heart valve can respectively adopt the various solutions described in the present disclosure. As an improved solution, the balloon device includes:
Optionally, the locking wire structure includes:
Optionally, there are at least two junctions between the adjustment wires and the locking wire, at least one junction limits movement of the prosthetic implant in a distal direction, and at least one junction limits movement of the prosthetic implant in a proximal direction.
Optionally, the first adjustment wire and the second adjustment wire are matched in axial length so that the first stent is maintained in a middle of the balloon body.
The present disclosure further provides a transcatheter implant system, including a balloon device and a prosthetic heart valve as described above, wherein the balloon device includes:
Optionally, the limiting mechanism includes at least one limiting body, and at least the distal end of the first stent is blocked by the limiting body.
Optionally, the distal end of the first stent has an eyelet structure protruding from the end, and when the first stent is in the compressed state, the eyelet structure is in contact with the limiting body.
Optionally, both ends of the first stent each have an eyelet structure protruding from the corresponding end, and the limiting mechanism includes at least two limiting bodies respectively located at the proximal and distal ends of the balloon body. When the first stent is in a compressed state, the eyelet structures are respectively in contact with the corresponding limiting bodies.
Optionally, the balloon device is further configured with a locking wire structure for axial limiting for the first stent.
Optionally, the limiting mechanism includes a limiting body, and at least the distal end of the first stent is blocked by the limiting body; The locking wire structure includes:
The present disclosure further provides a prosthetic heart valve assembly, including:
Optionally, in the expanded state, an axial length of the anchoring stent is greater than a length of the first stent.
Optionally, the first stent is located in a middle of the anchoring stent in the axial direction.
Optionally, the fishbone-shaped cell is a concave hexagon with opposite convex tips and concave tails, the concave tails of two rows of fishbone-shaped cells are symmetrical and face each other, while the convex tips face outward;
Optionally, the first stent does not axially exceed the middle part.
Optionally, the first stent has a denser cell than that of the anchoring stent.
Optionally, a number of circumferential cells of the first stent is 1.2 to 2 times a number of circumferential cells of the anchoring stent.
Optionally, within a diamond-shaped cell at an end of the anchoring stent, two struts facing away from the middle part have lower strength than two struts shared with the middle part.
Optionally, the prosthetic heart valve and the anchoring stent are both configured to be deployed based on balloon expansion.
Optionally, the prosthetic heart valve is configured to be deployed based on balloon expansion, and the anchoring stent is configured to be deployed based on self-expansion.
The present disclosure further provides a transcatheter implant system, including:
Optionally, the transcatheter implant system further includes a second delivery system for expanding the anchoring stent.
Optionally, the first delivery system and the second delivery system may use the same or different interventional paths to implement interventional delivery.
Optionally, the first delivery system further includes a second balloon body for expanding the anchoring stent.
Optionally, the first balloon body and the second balloon body are respectively configured with fluid channels (to avoid mutual interference), and the two balloon bodies are arranged axially and respectively loaded with a prosthetic heart valve and an anchoring stent, and the anchoring stent to be deployed first is located at the distal end of the first stent.
Optionally, the distal end or both ends of the anchoring stent are each provided with a limiting mechanism in the second delivery system.
Optionally, the second balloon body is configured with a limiting mechanism(s) for the distal end or both ends of the anchoring stent.
Optionally, the limiting mechanism is configured to limit movement of the anchoring stent in an axial direction at least when the anchoring stent is installed on the corresponding balloon body in a radially compressed state, and the limiting mechanism specifically includes a limiting body, and the limiting body can adopt any of the limiting bodies described above, such as including a plurality of rods to form a hollow cage-like structure.
Optionally, a limiting mechanism(s) is configured in the first balloon body for the distal end or both ends of the prosthetic heart valve.
Optionally, the limiting mechanism is configured to limit the axial movement of the prosthetic heart valve at least when the prosthetic heart valve is mounted on the first balloon body in a radially compressed state, and the limiting mechanism specifically includes a limiting body, and the limiting body can adopt any of the limiting bodies described above, such as including a plurality of rods to form a hollow cage-like structure.
Optionally, in the second delivery system, a locking wire structure for axial limiting is configured for two ends of the anchoring stent.
Optionally, the end of the first stent and/or the anchoring stent has an eyelet structure protruding from the end.
Optionally, the locking wire structure includes:
Optionally, when the transcatheter implant system includes two delivery systems, two locking wire structures are configured for the two delivery systems.
Optionally, when the first delivery system includes a first balloon body and a second balloon body, the locking wire structure includes:
Optionally, the locking wire includes a first locking wire and a third locking wire. In the locked state, the first locking wire passes through the corresponding locking eyelets to restrict the prosthetic heart valve, and the third locking wire passes through the corresponding locking eyelets to restrict the anchoring stent.
Optionally, the anchoring stent includes an eyelet structure, and the second locking wire or the third locking wire passes through the eyelet structure of the anchoring stent.
Optionally, a locking wire structure for axial limitation is configured at two ends of the prosthetic heart valve in the first delivery system.
Optionally, a locking wire structure is configured for the anchoring stent in the transcatheter implant system.
Optionally, the transcatheter implant system is provided with a locking wire structure for the prosthetic heart valve and the anchoring stent.
Optionally, the first delivery system further includes an outer sheath, the anchoring stent is accommodated in the outer sheath in the compressed state, and the anchoring stent is configured to be deployed based on self-expansion.
The present disclosure further provides a releasing method for a prosthetic heart valve assembly from an interventional delivery system, wherein the prosthetic heart valve assembly includes a prosthetic heart valve and an anchoring stent, both of which have an expanded state and a compressed state;
Optionally, the interventional delivery system further includes an outer sheath, the outer sheath is slidably mounted around the inner shaft, and the anchoring stent is connected to the inner shaft and enclosed by the outer sheath;
Optionally, one inner shaft is provided, and the interventional delivery system further includes:
Optionally, the interventional delivery system further includes a deflection assembly, and the deflection assembly can at least act on the inner shaft to change an orientation of a distal end of the inner shaft;
The portion of the inner shaft corresponding to the bent section is made of a metal cutting tube.
The present disclosure improves the prosthetic heart valve and the interventional delivery system, and the two cooperate with each other during the interventional delivery and deployment process of the prosthetic heart valve, resulting in a more ideal operating effect.
b is a perspective view of the auxiliary handle and the outer sheath;
The technical solutions according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and fully in combination with the drawings according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are not all embodiments of the present disclosure, but only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the disclosed embodiments, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work fall into the scope of this disclosure.
It should be noted that, when a component is “connected” with another component, it may be directly connected to another component or may be indirectly connected to another component through a further component. When a component is “provided” on another component, it may be directly provided on another component or may be provided on another component through a further component.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. The terms in the description of the present disclosure are used to describe specific embodiments, and not to limit the present disclosure. The term “and/or” used herein includes one or more of the listed options in any combinations, or the combination of all of the listed options.
In the present disclosure, the terms “first”, “second” and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or the number or order of the technical features referred. Thus, features defined with “first”, “second” can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present disclosure, “plurality” means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise.
For ease of understanding of the present disclosure, the “distal end” and “proximal end” mentioned in the following embodiments are commonly used terms in the field of interventional medical devices. When used to indicate direction, the “distal end” refers to the end away from the operator during surgery, and the “proximal end” refers to the end close to the operator during surgery. When used to refer to a structure, the term “end” in this disclosure refers to the endpoint of the structure, or a point or area on that side, or a specific structure connected to that point or area.
In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the axial direction refers, unless otherwise specified, to the direction along the straight line between the proximal and distal ends that is theoretically determined when the catheter assembly and the control handle are completely straightened. Correspondingly, the radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction and the circumferential direction around the axial direction can be determined.
The proximal end of the catheter assembly is connected to and controlled by the control handle. The relative movement range of its tubes is limited by the size (length) of the control handle. Therefore, during the withdrawal of the outer sheath, the distal end of the outer sheath generally remains in the aortic arch. For the catheter assembly as a whole, the stiffness varies significantly between the parts exposed outside the outer sheath and those still inside the outer sheath. This results in unstable spatial orientation, potentially requiring readjustment, which brings unnecessary cumbersome operations to the surgery.
Especially in the case of deploying the prosthetic implant via the balloon expansion method, it is expected to withdraw the outer sheath quickly to improve efficiency.
Referring to
The control handle 9 includes:
In the present disclosure, the auxiliary handle 20 is independently configured for the outer sheath of the catheter assembly. The entire auxiliary handle 20 has a threading channel, which, on the one hand, allows for the insertion and connection of the outer sheath, and on the other hand, facilitates the passage of other tube(s) of the catheter assembly through the auxiliary handle 20 after extending proximally from the outer sheath. For the entire interventional delivery system, the outer sheath is controlled by the auxiliary handle, and the remaining tube(s) are controlled by the main handle (where the terms “main” and “auxiliary” are understood as relative concepts).
By configuring the auxiliary handle and the main handle separately, the flexibility of controlling the outer sheath can be further improved. More importantly, the travel of the outer sheath is no longer limited by the length of the main handle. When retracting the outer sheath, the distal portion of the outer sheath can also be withdrawn from the aortic arch, thereby minimizing its impact on the spatial orientation of the other tube(s).
Depending on the loading and deployment methods of the prosthetic implant, the inner sheath can be directly inserted into the outer sheath (i.e. the two are directly adjacent in the radial direction) or other tube(s) can be arranged between the two radially. The prosthetic implant itself can adopt conventional technologies. Taking a prosthetic heart valve as an example, it generally includes a radially deformable stent and multiple leaflets connected to the stent. The stent has a tubular structure with hollow cells. The interior of the stent is a blood flow channel, and the leaflets cooperate with each other to control the opening and closing of the blood flow channel.
Taking a self-expandable prosthetic implant as an example, the inner sheath has a mounting head near the distal end, and the radially compressed prosthetic implant is connected to the mounting head. The distal end of the outer sheath is an enlarged loading section, which surrounds the prosthetic implant and restricts the prosthetic implant in the compressed state. When the outer sheath is withdrawn proximally, the prosthetic implant is gradually exposed and released.
In the case of a balloon-expandable prosthetic implant, a balloon catheter is further arranged between the inner sheath and the outer sheath. The radially compressed prosthetic implant surrounds the balloon body 331 and is enclosed by the loading section of the outer sheath. When the outer sheath is withdrawn proximally to expose the prosthetic implant, the balloon catheter is inflated by injecting fluid, thereby radially expanding the prosthetic implant to complete the deployment.
A deflectable tube or the like can also be arranged between the inner sheath and the outer sheath as needed for specific operations, which will be further described below. To facilitate the surgery and obtain the position and orientation of the catheter assembly in the human body in real time, radiopaque markers can also be configured on each tube. For example, a first radiopaque ring can be provided at the distal end of the loading section, and a second radiopaque ring 323 and a third radiopaque ring 324 can be provided on the inner sheath corresponding to the balloon body (see
Conventional materials can be used for the materials of the tubes. For example, the loading section 3102 of the outer sheath 310 can be made of Pebax, while the other sections such as the sheath section 3103 can be made of PTFE. The deflectable tube can be made of a metallic Hypotube, with slightly varying cutting densities at different parts—for instance, a higher density at the distal end and a lower density at the proximal end—providing greater flexibility at the distal end compared to the proximal end.
The diameter of the loading section 3102 is larger than that of the sheath section 3103 to accommodate prosthetic implants of different specifications. During loading, the prosthetic implant is radially compressed into a tubular shape and is housed within the loading section 3102. In order to facilitate the interventional delivery of the loading section 3102 into the human body, a catheter sheath can be used. The catheter sheath can create a temporary channel in the blood vessel for the catheter assembly 30 to pass through. The wall of the catheter sheath is preferably of an expandable structure to adapt to a slightly larger-diameter loading section 3102. For example, from the perspective of the cross-section of the catheter sheath wall, the catheter sheath wall can have a folded structure. The folded structure can deform and return to its original shape, allowing the temporary channel to expand where the larger-diameter loading section 3102 passes through and then contract back after it passes.
To limit the distal extreme position of the outer sheath 310, the distal end of the inner sheath 320 is provided with a guide head 370. The outer circumference of the guide head 370 defines an annular step 3701, and the distal end surface of the loading section 3102 abuts against the annular step 3701 to achieve axial position limitation. The outer circumference of the guide head 370 is flush with the outer circumference of the loading section 3102, reducing the potential safety hazard of scratching.
Referring to
The positioning member 220 and the driving member 230 are primarily configured to adjust and lock the relative position of the auxiliary handle 20 and the main handle 10, preventing the outer sheath 310 from slipping and misaligning relative to other tube(s), thereby reducing potential safety risks.
When in use, all tubes except the outer sheath 310 are located within the threading channel 201. When the positioning member 220 restricts the threading channel 201, it can exert force on the other tube(s), thereby locking the relative position of the auxiliary handle 20 and the other tube(s). Similarly, releasing the threading channel 201 means reducing or completely removing the force exerted on the other tube(s), allowing the auxiliary handle 20 to drive the outer sheath 310 to slide relative to the other tube(s). The driving member 230 and the positioning member 220 can be formed in one or separate pieces that are fixed together or in transmission cooperation, so as to drive the positioning member 220 to switch between the locked position and the unlocked position.
In this embodiment, the movement direction of the positioning member and the driving member relative to the auxiliary handle is not strictly limited. The positioning member has at least a movement component in the radial direction of the threading channel to change the force exerted on other tube(s) or the radial relative position.
The force exerted by the positioning member on other tube(s) can be a friction force generated by radial abutment. It can also be achieved through structures that cooperate with each other to generate an axial limiting force, such as latching teeth or axial blocking elements. The driving member can move in ways like axial sliding, radial pressing, or circumferential rotation.
The housing 200 provides a space for installing and accommodating other components, and is generally held directly during operation. For ease of assembly, referring to
The snap-fit structure mentioned above may consist of separate pieces snapped with each other in the radial direction, or further in combination with an axially segmented design. In this embodiment, the housing 200 includes two half-shells 202 snapped with each other in the radial direction of the connecting sleeve 210, and end caps 203 respectively located at the axial ends of the two half-shells 202. The end caps 203 are fixed to the two half-shells 202 via either a snap-fit or a threaded connection.
Referring to
The engagement and positioning structure between the housing 200 and the connecting sleeve 210 includes a positioning groove 2023 defined on the inner circumference of the half-shells, and a positioning shoulder 2101 fixed to the outer circumference of the connecting sleeve. After the two half-shells 202 are snapped together, the positioning shoulder 2101 is inserted into the positioning groove 2023 to achieve axial positioning, while also limiting the displacement of the connecting sleeve in the radial direction.
In order to ensure the positioning effect, a plurality of ribs 2024 can be provided on the inner walls of the half-shells 202. The ribs 2024 surround and support the outer circumference of the connecting sleeve 210 to assist in positioning. In the axial direction of the connecting sleeve, the positioning shoulder 2101 and the ribs 2024 are respectively located at both ends of the connecting sleeve 210.
There is a radial gap between the outer sheath 310 and the internal tube(s). Before surgery, it is necessary to expel the air within this radial gap to reduce safety risks. For example, physiological saline can be injected into the radial gap from the proximal end of the outer sheath 310, forcing the air out through the distal end. In conventional technologies, a pipeline connected to the radial gap is configured, with an additional control valve installed on the pipeline. The present disclosure provides an improved approach in one embodiment.
Referring to
From the distal end to the proximal end, the arrangement is as follows:
The arrangement mentioned above can ensure that the physiological saline injected from the first vent hole 2102 can only enter the radial gap between the outer sheath 310 and the internal tube(s), flowing distally to expel air.
In this embodiment, an external control valve is omitted. Instead, a one-way valve core that can float under the action of fluid pressure difference is installed inside the first vent channel. When physiological saline is injected, the one-way valve core is pushed open to allow flow through the first vent channel. In the event of backflow, the reverse pressure pushes the one-way valve core to close the first vent channel, preventing fluid leakage. This self-adaptive one-way valve core enhances the overall integration of the system, eliminating the need for cumbersome control valve operations.
In order to connect the first pipe joint 211, a first annular seat 2104 is arranged around the first vent hole 2102. The first pipe joint 211 is inserted and mated with the first annular seat 2104, with an anti-rotation structure provided between them to prevent unnecessary rotation.
One end of the first pipe joint 211 may have a threaded structure to facilitate quick disassembly and assembly with the external pipeline, and the other end is inserted into the first annular seat 2104. A sealing ring 213 arranged around the first vent hole 2102 may be provided in the first annular seat 2104. The end face of the first pipe joint 211 inserted into the first annular seat 2104 abuts against the sealing ring 213 for sealing. The sealing ring 213 is elastic and can ensure the sealing effect.
In order to ensure the strength of the connection with the external pipeline, a first protective sleeve 212 surrounding the first pipe joint 211 is embedded in the housing 200. A pipeline insertion gap is formed between the outer wall of the first pipe joint 211 and the inner wall of the first protective sleeve 212.
The anti-rotation structure can prevent the first pipe joint 211 from rotating unnecessarily when assembling or disassembling the external pipeline. The anti-rotation structure includes:
In
The one-way valve core 26 has a sealed state and an open state, and the one-way valve core 26 specifically includes:
The one-way valve core is overall designed to be floatable. The limiting rod 261 is movably installed and its position is limited by the first pipe joint 211, which can limit the stroke of the sealing sheet 262. Especially in the open state, if the stroke of the sealing sheet 262 is too large, it may directly block the first vent hole 2102. As an example, the inner wall of the first pipe joint 211 is provided with a retaining ring 2112 surrounding the outer periphery of the limiting rod, and the fluid gap is located between the outer periphery of the retaining ring 2112 and the inner wall of the first pipe joint 211.
One end of the limiting rod 261 away from the sealing sheet 262 passes through the retaining ring 2112 and has a head 2611. In the open state, the head 2611 abuts against the retaining ring 2112, and the sealing sheet 262 moves away from the retaining ring 2112 and the fluid gap 214 is opened. In the sealed state, the head moves away from the retaining ring 2112, and the sealing sheet 262 abuts against the retaining ring 2112 and closes the fluid gap 214.
In another embodiment, referring to
One end of the limiting rod 261 away from the sealing sheet 262 passes through the retaining ring 2112 and has a head 2611. The head 2611 and the sealing sheet are fixed on two opposite sides of the retaining ring 2112. The edge of the sealing sheet 262 can elastically deform to open or close the fluid gap 214.
In the open state, the edge of the sealing sheet 262 moves away from the retaining ring 2112 and the fluid gap 214 is opened (as shown in
In the sealed state (
The following embodiment provides the specific structure of the positioning member. For example, referring to
The driving member 230 is linked with the free ends 2201 of the elastic claws 221, enabling the free ends 2201 to move inward in the radial direction of the connecting sleeve (i.e., to restrict the threading channel 201 and clamp the internal tube(s)), or releasing the elastic claw 221. The elastic claws 221 have a reset tendency (i.e., moving away from the threading channel and reducing the action on the internal tube(s)), allowing the auxiliary handle 20 to slide relative to the internal tube(s) and adjust the relative position of the distal end of the outer sheath.
The fixed end 2202 of the elastic claw 221 can be fixed to the connecting sleeve 210, or the elastic claw and the connecting sleeve 210 can be formed in one piece.
The connecting sleeve 210 is generally tubular, with U-shaped hollow areas 2204 on its wall. The elastic claw 221 is located within the corresponding U-shaped hollow area. The elastic claw 221 is generally strip-shaped. Relatively, the fixed end 2202 of the elastic claw is at the distal end, and the free end 2201 is at the proximal end. For uniform clamping force, multiple elastic claws can be configured. For instance, there can be 2 to 6 elastic claws (e.g., 4), distributed in the circumferential direction of the connecting sleeve 210.
In order to synchronously drive all elastic claws and simplify the structure, the driving member 230 is cylindrical and slidably fitted over the outer periphery of the connecting sleeve 210. The inner wall of the driving member 230 acts on the elastic claws.
The sliding direction of the driving member 230 corresponds to the length direction of the connecting sleeve 210. When the driving member 230 moves to different positions, the radial force applied to the elastic claws changes, causing the positioning member 220 to switch between the locked position and the unlocked position. In order to enable the elastic claws to obtain a relatively uniform change trend of the radial force, the elastic claws and the driving member 230 can be matched through inclined surfaces. For example, in the radial direction of the connecting sleeve 210, the outer side of the elastic claw 221 is provided with a guide slope 2203, and the inner wall of the driving member 230 acts on the guide slope 2203.
In the radial direction of the connecting sleeve 210, the height of the guide slope 2203 gradually increases from the distal end to the proximal end. Without considering the change of the inner wall of the driving member, when the driving member 230 moves proximally, it causes the free end 2201 of the elastic claw 221 to further move inward, increasing the force exerted on the internal tube(s) until the internal tube(s) are locked. For cushioning, protection, and achieving better clamping and sealing effects, an elastic component can be provided between the elastic claws 221 and the internal tube(s), which can also provide a damping effect when sliding the auxiliary handle 20, improving the operation experience. For example, an elastic liner 240 can be provided inside the connecting sleeve 210, and the elastic claws 221 act on the outer wall of the elastic liner, compressing it to restrict the threading channel 201.
When inserting the internal tube(s), the elastic claws 221 compress the elastic liner 240 inwardly, clamping the internal tube(s) through the elastic liner 240. In order to avoid unnecessary loosening, the elastic liner 240 can be inserted into the connecting sleeve in an interference fit manner. For further axial positioning, the distal end of the elastic liner 240 extends out of the connecting sleeve 210, and the extended portion is provided with a radially outwardly protruding positioning step 2401. In the axial direction, the positioning step 2401 is axially positioned and matched with the end face of the connecting sleeve 210 and/or the inner wall of the housing 200.
In order to guide the movement of the driving member 230, a guiding structure with mutually-matching parts is provided between the inner wall of the driving member 230 and the outer wall of the connecting sleeve 210. The guiding structure includes:
In
For ease of operation, referring to
The operation button 250 is exposed through the first clearance opening 2302, and may further extend outward from the first clearance opening 2302 in the radial direction of the connecting sleeve 210. The length of the first clearance opening 2302 is configured according to the sliding range of the driving member 230.
To ensure stable sliding of the driving member 230 and maintain necessary structural strength, it should have sufficient axial length. Considering the potential interference with the first vent channel, the side wall of the driving member 230 defines a second clearance opening 2303. The side wall of the connecting sleeve 210 defines a first vent hole that corresponds to the threading channel 201. In the axial direction of the connecting sleeve 210, the position of the second clearance opening 2303 corresponds to the position of the first vent hole.
The one-way valve core 26 and the first pipe joint 211 among others at the vent hole are all located at the second clearance opening 2303. For ease of assembly, the distal end of the second clearance opening 2303 is an open structure.
In combination with the auxiliary handle 20 of the previous embodiments, referring to
In terms of the specific connection method, the proximal end of the outer sheath 310 is an insertion section 3101 (located at the proximal end of the sheath section 3103, or can be regarded as a part of the sheath section 3103) and extends from the distal end of the connecting sleeve 210 and is fixed inside the connecting sleeve (invisible in the assembled state).
Referring to
Regarding the deployment of the prosthetic implant, the following takes the balloon expansion method as an example. This method can also synergize with the separation of the main and auxiliary handles in the present disclosure to achieve better performance. Referring to
During operation, the prosthetic implant 8 and the balloon body 331 are enclosed in the outer sheath 310. In some cases, the outer sheath may be withdrawn proximally before reaching the lesion, while the balloon body 331 is still in the folded state, resulting in a protruding step 86 between the outer circumference of the balloon body 331 and the distal end of the prosthetic implant 8. This poses a safety risk of tissue injury during subsequent delivery. This embodiment provides a solution whereby fluid can be injected to inflate the distal portion of the balloon body 331 after it is exposed from the outer sheath 310. Since the proximal portion of the balloon body 331 is still enclosed by the outer sheath, it remains in a folded state. When injecting fluid, if a large part of the prosthetic implant 8 is exposed from the outer sheath 310, the fluid pressure can be adjusted to inflate only the distal portion of the balloon body 331 exposed beyond the prosthetic implant 8, while the other portions remain folded under the constraint of the prosthetic implant 8.
Once the distal portion of the balloon body 331 is inflated, it can eliminate or compensate for the protruding step 86, creating a smooth transition or reducing the height difference between the outer circumference of the balloon body 331 and the end face of the prosthetic implant 8, thereby avoiding potential safety hazards.
The proximal end of the catheter body can be connected to an infusion device to inject fluid (such as saline) into the balloon body 331 to inflate the balloon body 331. In the prior art, during the transition of the balloon body to the inflated state, the outward inflation tendencies vary across different axial sections.
For example, the fluid first enters the proximal portion of the balloon body and gradually inflates it, while the prosthetic implant is still in a compressed state, preventing the fluid from smoothly reaching the distal portion of the balloon body. As a result, the deployment of the distal portion of the prosthetic device is delayed relative to the proximal portion. This may cause the prosthetic device to slide distally relative to the balloon body or even deviate from the balloon body entirely, thereby compromising the deployment performance.
The present disclosure provides an improved approach to this problem. Referring to
Referring to
The fluid guide member 350 is tubular, and the position of the diversion channel 354 relative to the fluid guide member 350 is at least one of the following:
The specific structure of the diversion channel is further described in the following embodiments.
The diversion channel 354 consists of diversion grooves 351 opened on the outer circumferential wall of the fluid guide member.
The radially outwardly protruding groove walls between adjacent diversion grooves 351 can support the inner wall of the balloon body in the folded state, so that the diversion grooves 351 can connect the distal side and the proximal side of the balloon body even in the folded state. To ensure the diversion effect, the fluid guide member 350 should have a sufficient length. For example, the distal side and the proximal side of the fluid guide member 350 are respectively adjacent to the distal side and the proximal side of the balloon body 331.
In one embodiment, there are multiple diversion grooves 351, which are distributed in the circumferential direction of the fluid guide member 350. Each diversion groove 351 extends in the axial direction of the fluid guide member 350 (as shown in
For the helical arrangement, the angle should not be too large to avoid affecting the diversion effect. For example, in the circumferential direction of the fluid guide member 350, the wrap angle of a single diversion groove 351 ranges from 0 to 180 degrees. In
Referring to
The plurality of diversion grooves 351 and communication grooves 352 intersect with each other to form a diversion network.
In another embodiment, a fluid guide member 350 is arranged around the inner sheath 320. The fluid guide member 350 is tubular and is located in the balloon body 331. The tube wall of the fluid guide member 350 has hollow areas 353. These hollow areas 353 extend continuously or intermittently from the distal end of the fluid guide member 350 to the proximal end of the fluid guide member 350.
The hollow area 353 can take various forms, such as those shown in
In another embodiment, there is a radial gap between the fluid guide member 350 and the inner sheath 320, and this radial gap serves as a diversion channel 354 (as shown in
In a complex in vivo environment, for the distal end of the catheter assembly 30 to smoothly advance for intervention or maintain a specific orientation, active bending adjustment is sometimes required. For example, the catheter assembly 30 further includes a deflectable tube 340 and a traction member 341 for driving the deflectable tube 340. The deflectable tube 340 is arranged around the inner sheath 320. The distal ends of the deflectable tube 340 and the traction member 341 are fixedly connected, and the proximal ends of both are connected to the main handle 10 and are in relative sliding fit.
When combined with the balloon catheter, the deflectable tube 340 and the traction member 341 are both located on the outer periphery of the catheter body 332, and the distal end of the deflectable tube 340 avoids the balloon body 331. Under the action of the traction member, the distal end of the deflectable tube 340 can be bent, thereby driving the surrounding tubes to bend together. The distal end of the deflectable tube and other tubes (except the traction member) are not strictly required to be fixed to each other.
Regarding the configuration of the traction member 341, in different embodiments, it can be:
The wall of the deflectable tube 340 has an interlayer structure, within which a lining tube is fixed (not visible in the assembled state). The traction member 341 is movably disposed through the lining tube.
Referring to
When the first driving sleeve 111 rotates, it drives the first sliding seat 110 to slide axially, thereby pulling the proximal end of the traction wire (i.e., the traction member). Since the proximal end of the deflectable tube 340 is fixedly connected to the support body 100, the traction wire will pull the distal end of the deflectable tube 340, causing it to change direction. As it is not convenient to observe the bending angle in vivo, the identification member 122 can be used to estimate the bending effect based on the displacement of the first sliding seat 110.
Although the identification member 122 could be directly fixed to the first sliding seat 110, this would require either bypassing the first driving sleeve 111 or adding a viewing window on it for observation, which will cause space waste or weaken the structural strength. In this embodiment, the first driving sleeve 111 is configured to synchronously drive the identification member 122 and the first sliding seat 110, ensuring accurate indication while overcoming these defects. Specifically, the first driving sleeve 111 has internal threads and external threads, the first sliding seat 110 has external teeth that match the internal threads, and the identification member 122 has internal teeth that match the external threads.
The identification member 122 and the first sliding seat 110 move synchronously under the action of the first driving sleeve 111. In order to observe the identification member 122, a viewing window is provided on the sidewall of the indicating section at a corresponding position.
In order to guide the identification member 122, a guiding structure can be provided on the inner edge of the view window or the support body 100 to limit the movement direction of the identification member 122. For example, two slide grooves 1211 are provided on the side wall of the indicating section, and the identification member 122 is located outside the side wall and spans between the two slide grooves 1211. The end of the identification member 122 extends inward through the slide groove 1211, forming inner teeth 1221 that engage with the external threads of the first driving sleeve 111. Referring to
Once the first driving sleeve reaches the desired position, it needs to be locked in place to avoid interference with other operations. In one embodiment, a locking ring that is axially slidable is provided around the outer periphery of the first driving sleeve, and the first driving sleeve has a locked state in which it is engaged with the locking ring and a free state in which it is disengaged from the locking ring. In the locked state, the locking ring limits the rotation of the first driving sleeve.
In the locked state, the first driving sleeve and the locking ring are meshed together via locking teeth.
To guide the movement of the first sliding seat 110, an installation groove 1001 extending axially can be provided in the support body 100, and a guide cylinder 112 is fixed in the installation groove 1001. The first sliding seat 110 is slidably arranged around the guide cylinder 112, and a guiding structure is provided between the first sliding seat 110 and the outer wall of the guide cylinder 112 to facilitate the axial movement.
For example, as shown in
Referring to
From the distal end to the proximal end, the arrangement is as follows:
In this embodiment, an external control valve is omitted, and the working principle of the one-way valve core 114 is the same as that of the one-way valve core 26 described in the previous embodiment, which will not be further elaborated here.
A second annular seat 1123 is disposed around the second vent hole 1122. The second pipe joint 113 is inserted and mated with the second annular seat 1123, with an anti-rotation structure provided between them to prevent unnecessary rotation.
One end of the second pipe joint 113 may have a threaded structure to facilitate quick disassembly and assembly with the external pipeline, and the other end is inserted into the second annular seat 1123. A sealing ring 115 arranged around the second vent hole 1122 may be provided in the second annular seat 1123. The end face of the second pipe joint 113 inserted into the second annular seat 1123 abuts against the sealing ring 115 for sealing. The sealing ring 115 is elastic and can ensure the sealing effect.
The anti-rotation structure can prevent the second pipe joint 113 from rotating unnecessarily when assembling or disassembling the external pipeline. The anti-rotation structure includes:
In
In order to ensure the strength of the connection with the external pipeline, a second protective sleeve 116 is provided around the outer periphery of the second pipe joint 113. A pipeline insertion gap is formed between the outer wall of the second pipe joint 113 and the inner wall of the second protective sleeve 116. The second protective sleeve 116 includes two parts (the first part 116a and the second part 116b as shown in
In order to inflate the balloon body 331, an interface connected to the catheter body 332 is provided at the proximal end of the main handle 10. Furthermore, to enable fine axial adjustment of the balloon body 331 in the in vivo environment, referring to
When the second driving sleeve 131 rotates, it drives the second sliding seat 130 to slide axially relative to the support body 100 through threaded transmission. Since the multi-way connector 140 is connected to the proximal end of the second sliding seat 130, the balloon catheter 330 and the inner sheath 320 also move. As a further improvement, the multi-way connector 140 and the proximal end of the second sliding seat 130 are rotatably engaged with each other and axially limited relative to each other.
The axial limitation between the multi-way connector 140 and the second sliding seat 130 ensures that the axial movement of the second sliding seat 130 is synchronously transmitted to the balloon body 331 and the prosthetic implant 8. The rotational engagement between the multi-way connector 140 and the second sliding seat 130 allows the balloon body 331 and the prosthetic implant 8 to rotate relative to the support body 100, realizing the precise adjustment of the spatial orientation of the prosthetic implant 8. Specifically, the second sliding seat 130 is generally cylindrical, and partially housed within the second driving sleeve 131. The outer wall of the second sliding seat 130 is in threaded fit with the inner wall of the second driving sleeve 131. The support body 100 is provided with a guide groove 1002 for guiding the second sliding seat 130 to move axially.
Referring to
The multi-way connector 140 can be configured with multiple interfaces, corresponding to the guidewire channel 321, the fluid channel 322. As a further improvement, a locking wire channel 143 is provided. A locking wire 360 which is directly driven at the proximal end can be threaded through the locking wire channel 143. The locking wire 360 extends to the distal end and is located outside the balloon body 331. Cooperating with the wire loop structures on the balloon body 331, the locking wire 360 can further lock the axial position of the prosthetic implant 8.
For example, in
The distal end of the locking wire 360 passes through the second pull ring 382 and the first pull ring 381 in sequence and then extends into the guide head 370 (with a locking hole for inserting the locking wire) at the distal end of the inner sheath. In this way, the axial position of the prosthetic implant 8 can be further locked. The locking wire can be withdrawn proximally as needed to release the restraint on the prosthetic implant 8.
In the following embodiments, the prosthetic implant takes the prosthetic heart valve as an example. Referring to
To prevent paravalvular leakage, an anti-paravalvular leakage component is connected to the stent 800. The anti-paravalvular leakage component is generally formed in one piece, including a base 84 on the inner side of the stent and anti-paravalvular leakage elements 841 fixed to the outer side of the base. The anti-paravalvular leakage elements 841 are spaced apart and block-shaped and aligned with the hollow areas of the stent's cells.
In the expanded state after the stent 800 is released, the anti-paravalvular leakage element 841 extends outward from the corresponding cell in the radial direction of the stent, or is higher than the outer periphery of the stent in the radial direction.
The base 84 and the anti-paravalvular leakage elements 841 may be formed by infiltration bonding. The base 84 may be made of PET, and the anti-paravalvular leakage element 841 may be made of porous material, such as PU, with pores either inherent to the material structure or created via external processing.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The axial lengths of the second row of anti-paravalvular leakage elements 8412 and the third row of anti-paravalvular leakage elements 8413 are only half the length of a cell, respectively.
Each anti-paravalvular leakage element, from the outflow side 833 to the inflow side 834, gradually increases in thickness, reaching a maximum outward protrusion (in the radial direction of the stent), and then gradually decreases in thickness. The variation in thickness facilitates the retraction of the maximum outward protrusion. The maximum outward protrusion is closer to the inflow side 834. As can be seen in the figure, the distance between the maximum outward protrusion of the anti-paravalvular leakage element 841 and the inflow side 834 of the corresponding cell is S1, and the distance between the maximum outward protrusion of the anti-paravalvular leakage element 841 and the outflow side 833 of the corresponding cell is S2, where the ratio of S1:S2 ranges from 0.2 to 0.8. For example, as shown in
The anti-paravalvular leakage element protruding outward can fill the space enclosed by the struts of the corresponding cell. In terms of the protrusion extent, the anti-paravalvular leakage element closely contacts the side edges of the struts of the corresponding cell, ensuring that the lowest position of the anti-paravalvular leakage element is not lower than the outer peripheral surface of the struts of the corresponding cell. This design prevents gaps between the anti-paravalvular leakage elements and the side edges of the struts, thereby avoiding the absorption of deformation by these gaps, which could otherwise reduce the sealing effectiveness. Here, the “side edge of the strut” refers to the side facing the interior of the corresponding cell.
The control handle of the present disclosure can independently operate the outer sheath, so that the movement of the outer sheath is separated from those of other internal tubes while also eliminating restrictions on the main handle's length. To retract the outer sheath, the auxiliary handle can be directly driven, with sufficient travel to ensure that the distal end of the outer sheath disengages from the aortic arch. For example, when the auxiliary handle is retracted proximally to the extreme proximal position, the distal ends of the remaining tubes of the catheter assembly, especially the distal end of the deflectable tube, are exposed (released from the constraint of the outer sheath) for a considerable length, typically ranging from 0 to 20 cm. The overall travel of the auxiliary handle is generally in the range of 10 to 40 cm, in order to avoid the aortic arch or the bent part of the distal end of the catheter assembly, thereby facilitating the adjustment of the prosthetic implant or other operations.
Referring to
During surgery, fluid needs to be injected into the balloon body 423. Since the middle part of the balloon body 423 is compressed by the prosthetic implant 41 and basically fits the outer periphery of the inner shaft 44, the flow channel in this part is blocked. Therefore, the fluid generally inflates the proximal part of the balloon body 423 first, which poses a risk of shifting the prosthetic implant 1 towards the distal end, thereby affecting its positional accuracy in the human body.
Referring to
In practical applications, it is desirable for the balloon to form a “dog bone” shape (or “figure-eight” shape), meaning that the two axial ends of the balloon body 423 inflate first, followed by the central portion. This configuration not only aids in positioning the valve—preventing it from sliding on the balloon body 423 during the inflation of the balloon body 423—but also ensures uniform inflation at both ends of the balloon body 423, thereby providing a balanced expansion force to the valve.
Referring to
In this embodiment, the balloon catheter 42 includes a balloon body 423 and a catheter body 424. The catheter body 424 is in communication with the proximal end of the balloon body 423. The balloon body 423 includes a first part 4233, a middle part 4232 and a second part 4231 from the distal end to the proximal end. The inner cavities of these three parts are in communication with each other and form an internal flow channel for fluid injection. The middle part 4232 is where the prosthetic implant 41 is loaded and fixed. Specifically, in the loaded state shown in
The operation process of the method in this embodiment includes the following steps:
To avoid complexity in the flow channel design, the method ensures that all fluid used for inflating the balloon body 423 originates from the main flow channel 4241 before being diverted. From a fluid supply perspective, all fluid used for inflating the balloon body 423 is supplied from the proximal end of the catheter body 424 through the main flow channel 4241. Only diversion is made for different inflation parts (i.e., the first part 4233 and the second part 4231). Inside the catheter body 424, no other pipelines or flow channels for supplying fluids are configured except the main flow channel 4241. In addition, the interior of the main flow channel 4241 does not need to be partitioned (e.g., a multi-lumen parallel structure).
As shown in
The material of the balloon body 423 generally exhibits greater compliance or elasticity than that of the catheter body 424, meaning it is more prone to radial expansion when subjected to fluid pressure. Therefore, when the fluid enters the balloon body 423 from the catheter body 424, with the deformation of the balloon body 423, the fluid will present a relatively more obvious turbulent state compared to that in the catheter body 424, and then directly act on the second part 4231 to inflate it. In this embodiment, before the fluid entering the balloon body fully transitions into a turbulent state for inflation, it is partially diverted-allowing at least part of the fluid to directly act on the second part 4231 for inflation.
The fluid diversion in this embodiment is for the fluid from the main flow channel 4241. The radial gap between the catheter body 424 and the inner shaft 44 is the main flow channel 4241. The main flow channel 4241 is a single flow channel without additional partitioning into multiple lumens or parallel pipelines. To simplify the structure, all fluid within the catheter body 424 is output from the main flow channel 4241 to the balloon body 423.
The diverted part of the fluid is directed through an independent flow channel 426, which serves as a relatively enclosed flow guide channel. This design prevents the fluid entering the independent flow channel 426 from participating or excessively participating in the inflation of the second part 4231, reducing unnecessary diffusion while passing through the second part 4231 and the middle part 4232. This part of the fluid can reach the first part 4233 as quickly as possible along the independent flow channel 426 with minimal resistance, so as to reduce the time difference of the inflation deformation between the first part 4233 and the second part 4231.
The primary purpose of the fluid diversion is to partially intercept the fluid from the main flow channel 4241 that will flow into the inner cavity of the second part 4231, that is, to split all the fluid into two streams, inject them into the first part 4233 and the second part 4231 as synchronously as possible, and respectively inflate the first part 4233 and the second part 4231 simultaneously by acting on the inner wall of the balloon body 423, overcoming the defect that the proximal end inflates first in the prior art, and further solving the problem of positional displacement during the deployment of the prosthetic implant.
Referring to
Regarding the timing or relative position of fluid diversion, referring to
In another embodiment, referring to
After the first part 4233 and the second part 4231 undergo nearly simultaneous inflation and deformation, since the middle part 4232 is more radially constrained by the prosthetic implant and its deformation is more lagging, the balloon body 423 enters a transitional state in which both ends are inflated and the middle part is relatively contracted. In this state, the position of the prosthetic implant can still be adjusted or verified. Further fluid injection into the catheter body 424 continues until the balloon body 423 is fully inflated and the prosthetic implant 41 is radially expanded, as shown in
As mentioned above, during the diversion process, the fluid is diverted into two streams, which respectively inflate the first part 4233 and the second part 4231. Within each stream, the fluid may be further split into multiple sub-streams.
These sub-streams within each stream are radially distributed and can be achieved using flow splitters or branch flow channels 4261. This ensures that different circumferential sections of the balloon body 423 expand uniformly or nearly uniformly, reducing the complexity of controlling flow rate or flow velocity.
In order to ensure the synchronous deformation effect, the flow rate ratio of one stream of fluid directly acting on the second part 4231 and the other stream of fluid directly acting on the first part 4233 is set within the range of 1:0.6 to 1.5, and the flow rate can be adjusted accordingly by changing the cross-sectional area of the flow channel.
The prosthetic implant 41 is a cylindrical structure. The fluid entering the independent flow channel 426 passes through the middle part 4232 through the interior of the cylindrical structure and enters the first part 4233. This prevents interference with the diversion flow channel caused by deformation of the prosthetic implant.
The balloon body 423 has an axial direction extending between the distal end and the proximal end, as well as the corresponding radial and circumferential directions. After the fluid is output from the diversion flow channel, it enters and inflates the first part 4233 in different directions:
The portion of the independent flow channel 426 located within the first part 4233 may be provided with corresponding output holes or flow guides according to the fluid output direction.
Some embodiments below further provide an interventional delivery device based on balloon expansion deployment, which can be used to implement the above method.
Referring to
The balloon catheter 42 includes a balloon body 423 and a catheter body 424. The catheter body 424 is in communication with the proximal end of the balloon body 423. The balloon body 423 includes a first part 4233, a middle part 4232 and a second part 4231 from the distal end to the proximal end. The middle part 4232 is where the prosthetic implant 41 is loaded and fixed. The catheter body 424 has a main flow channel 4241. A flow guide tube 425 is provided in the radial gap between the inner shaft 44 and the balloon body 423. At least part of the fluid output from the main flow channel 4241 to the balloon body 423 enters and inflates the first part 4233 after passing through the second part 4231 and the middle part 4232 via the flow guide tube 425. The flow guide tube 425 diverts the fluid output from the distal end of the catheter body 424. The specific principle, process and the corresponding effects can be referred to the above description.
The flow guide tube 425 can divert the fluid from the main flow channel 4241 into two parts: one part enters and inflates the second part 4231, and the other part enters the flow guide tube 425 (corresponding to the independent flow channel 426 mentioned above; since the flow guide tube 425 is located around the outer periphery of the inner shaft 44, the independent flow channel 426 is the radial gap between the flow guide tube 425 and the inner shaft 44) and is directly delivered to the first part 4233 to avoid diffusion in the second part 4231 and the middle part 4232. This embodiment uses a simple tube for fluid diversion, which not only reduces costs and facilitates assembly but also allows for the use of the same material as surrounding components based on strength requirements, thereby reducing material selection difficulties.
Some embodiments below further provide an interventional delivery device based on balloon expansion deployment, which can be used to implement the above method.
Referring to
A flow guide tube 425 is provided in the radial gap between the inner shaft 44 and the balloon body 423. The distal end of the flow guide tube 425 is fixed to the distal end of the inner shaft 44, and the remaining part of the flow guide tube 425 is suspended between the inner shaft 44 and the balloon catheter 423.
At least part of the fluid output from the inner shaft 44 to the balloon body 423 enters and inflates the first part 4233 after passing through the second part 4231 and the middle part 4232 via the flow guide tube 425.
When the interventional delivery device is delivered in the human body, it will turn and bend to adapt to the physiological structure in the human body, which will cause displacement of the flow guide tube 425. In addition, the action of the fluid may also cause the displacement of the flow guide tube 425, potentially affecting the diversion effect. This embodiment applies the previously described fluid diversion principle using the flow guide tube. The key point is that the distal end of the flow guide tube 425 is fixed relative to the inner shaft 4, which provides overall positional stability of the flow guide tube 425, while allowing relative movement of the remaining part of the flow guide tube 425 through the suspension design. The suspension design means that no connecting or constraining components or matching structures are placed in the radial gap between the flow guide tube 425 and the inner shaft 44, and the flow guide tube 425 and the inner shaft 44 can move relative to each other in the radial direction within the range of the gap.
The suspension design enhances the overall compliance of the balloon catheter. In addition, in the initial stage of balloon expansion, the fluid inlet of the flow guide tube 425 may be partially blocked by the inner wall of the compressed balloon. The suspension design enables the proximal end of the flow guide tube 425 to self-adjust by shifting radially relative to the inner shaft 44, ensuring sufficient exposure of the fluid inlet area.
Referring to
The axial position of the fluid inlet 4254 is adjacent to the junction of the balloon body 423 and the catheter body 424. In the inflated state, the inner diameter of the junction of the balloon body 423 and the catheter body 424 changes significantly. Therefore, this region is also more susceptible to alterations in fluid flow dynamics before inflation. The axial position of the fluid inlet 4254 is adjacent to this region, which can obtain a good diversion timing and effect. The balloon body 423 is inflated after being perfused with fluid. In the inflated state, the fluid inlet 4254 is located at the region where the cross-sectional area of the flow channel of the second part 4231 relative to the catheter body 424 changes abruptly.
At the proximal port of the flow guide tube 425, there is a first gap with a radial span of L1 between the inner shaft 44 and the flow guide tube 425, and the first gap affects the flow rate of the part of the fluid diverted into the flow guide tube 425, i.e., the flow capacity of the diversion flow channel. There is a second gap with a radial span of L2 between the inner shaft 44 and the catheter body 424, and the second gap affects the total flow rate of the fluid. Since the inner diameter of the flow guide tube 425 is relatively small, the fluid stream entering the flow guide tube 425 requires a slightly larger flow rate to achieve the same flow rate as the other fluid stream. Therefore, the radial span ratio of the two gaps satisfies L1:L2=1:1.25 to 1.6, ensuring that both fluid streams after diversion achieve approximately the same inflation rate.
In the loaded state, the prosthetic implant is radially compressed, enclosing the outer periphery of the middle part 4232, while the first part 4233 and the second part 4231 remain exposed. This configuration reduces the initial deformation pressure required for expansion and minimizes the risk of prosthetic implant slippage.
In
The flow guide tube 425 includes a distal section 4253, a middle section 4252 and a proximal section 4251 from the distal end to the proximal end, with each corresponding to a different part of the balloon body 423. The distal section 4253 of the flow guide tube 425 has a first fluid outlet 4255 in communication with the first part 4233. The first fluid outlet 4255 is located on the tube wall of the distal section 4253 and/or the end face of the distal section 4253.
To achieve a radial fluid delivery effect, the tube wall of the distal section 4253 is provided with a plurality of first fluid outlets 4255, for example, two to four. The plurality of first fluid outlets are distributed along the circumference of the flow guide tube 425, so that the fluid can flow uniformly from the periphery of the flow guide tube to the first part of the balloon body, and the inflation force applied to the balloon body is more uniform.
In the length direction of the flow guide tube 425, the plurality of first fluid outlets 4255 are located in the middle of the distal section 4253. This configuration shortens the flow path of the fluid along the outer circumference of the flow guide tube, ensuring that the central portion of the first part 4233 of the balloon body receives the initial inflation force first, which helps achieve more uniform balloon inflation.
Referring to
The fluid output from the distal end of the catheter body 424 can all enter the flow guide tube 425, and then be redistributed through the flow guide tube 425 to enter and inflate different parts of the balloon body 423. This embodiment allows for control of the fluid flow rate through the configuration of the position and effective area of the first fluid outlet 4255 and the second fluid outlet 4256, improving the controllability of the inflation process in both the first part 4233 and the second part 4231.
Referring to
The tapered section 4257, at least the portion near the tip, can extend into the catheter body 424, thereby limiting the radial spatial position. The distal end of the tapered section 4257 can be opened for direct flow guide. The tapered section 4257 has one or two beveled surfaces. As shown in
As shown in
In some scenarios, in order to maintain the radial relative position of the flow guide tube 425 and the circumferential uniformity of the diversion flow channel, a spacer 441 is provided between the inner shaft 44 and the flow guide tube 425 in the radial direction to maintain the radial gap therebetween.
The spacer 441 may be a separate component or an integrated part of the corresponding component. For example, as shown in
The spacer 441 may also be a hollow structural component fixed between the inner shaft 44 and the flow guide tube 425 in the radial direction.
In order to position the distal end of the flow guide tube 425, referring to
The proximal side of the guide head 43 is provided with a positioning structure 431 adapted to the distal end of the flow guide tube 425. The positioning structure 431 is a coupling groove for inserting the flow guide tube 425 (as shown in
The present disclosure achieves synchronous deformation of the balloon body 423 at both ends of the prosthetic implant by distributing the fluid entering the balloon body 423. It reduces the risk of positional offset of the prosthetic implant during deployment and eliminates the need for an axial positioning structure for the prosthetic implant.
The prosthetic implant has a loaded state in which it is loaded on the catheter assembly 54 and an expanded state. The prosthetic implant can be a heart valve, such as a prosthetic aortic valve, a prosthetic pulmonary valve, or the like. The prosthetic implant hereinafter takes a prosthetic heart valve as an example, which includes a stent and leaflets arranged on the stent. The stent is made of stainless steel material among others and can be deployed via balloon expansion, and the stent itself can be formed by cutting a tube.
Referring to
The existing structures have poor blocking effects, especially after the balloon body is slightly inflated, that is, the blocking effect is lost in the initial stage of deployment of the prosthetic implant. In addition, some existing structures are complex and require corresponding unlocking operations.
The rods in this embodiment are generally elongated structures. On the one hand, the rods, especially at the second ends 5251, have less mutual traction, avoiding affecting the overall effect when local failure occurs. This effect is particularly significant when the prosthetic implant is eccentrically positioned. On the other hand, the rods allow for relatively large radial expansion and exhibit good compliance with the balloon folding deformation described below.
The lengths of the rods 525 can have the same or different lengths. The elongated structure is defined as the rod 525 having a length at least five times the rod diameter, preferably twenty times. The length of the rod 525 refers to the straight-line distance between the first end and the second end. If the rod 525 has a circular cross-section, the rod diameter corresponds to the diameter of the circular cross-section. If the cross-section of the rod is of other shapes, the rod diameter refers to the equivalent circular diameter with the same cross-sectional area.
To facilitate gathering and outward expansion, the rods possess elasticity. For example, they can be made of Nitinol memory alloy, which is heat-treated to obtain a preset shape, in which the rod naturally expands without constraints.
The expanded state of the rods refers to the state in which the ends of the rods expand outward to the maximum extent when the limiting mechanism is in use. For example, when the limiting mechanism is used in conjunction with the balloon body, after the balloon body is inflated, the ends of the rods expand outward in the expanded state.
In practical applications, once the balloon body is inflated, the radial constraint on the second ends of the rods may be completely removed, so that the expanded state of the rods is consistent with their own preset shape state. As shown in
On the other hand, after the balloon body is inflated, the end shape of the balloon body may still impose some radial constraints on the second ends of the rods, causing the expansion angle of the rods in the expanded state to be smaller than in the preset shape state.
In this embodiment, the expanded state of the rods is consistent with the preset shape state, which is more conducive for the balloon body when being folded and retracted during the retraction of the delivery system to guide the radial retraction of the rods. The compressed state of the rods refers to the radial retraction of the second ends of the rods, which is at least suitable for transcatheter interventional delivery. The object to which the external force is applied to keep the second ends radially retracted can be at least one of the balloon device or the outer sheath.
For example, in another embodiment, in order to obtain a larger expansion range, the distance between the second end of the rod and the axis of the coupling portion in the expanded state is R1; the distance between the second end of the rod and the axis of the coupling portion in the compressed state is R2; and R1:R2=2-20:1. For example, R1:R2=2-10:1. In this embodiment, the shape of the rod is not strictly limited, although an elongated structure provides better results.
The coupling portion 521 is connected to the catheter assembly 54. The rods 525 can gather together to form a cylindrical structure with the coupling portion 521. The rods 525 are radially distributed, with their first ends 5251 converging at one axial end of the coupling portion. The rod 525 has an expansion angle α relative to the axial direction. For example, the expansion angle α in the compressed state (
The rod 525 extends radially outward relative to the prosthetic implant 55 in the loaded state or at least is not lower than the prosthetic implant 55. The second end 5252 faces the prosthetic implant 55 to prevent it from moving toward the limiting mechanism 52. Limiting mechanisms 52 can be respectively arranged on both axial sides of the prosthetic implant 55, restricting its axial displacement relative to the catheter assembly 54.
The rods 525 can adapt to changes in the surrounding environment. For example, when the prosthetic implant 55 is in a loaded state, the rods 525 can be deformed and radially contracted to facilitate the loading process of the prosthetic implant; and after that, the rods 525 can adaptively deform to restrict the displacement of the prosthetic implant 55.
The limiting mechanism in this embodiment has a simpler structure and does not require unlocking via the control handle, avoiding an increase in the radial size of the distal end of the delivery system.
As shown in
The radial deformation of the coupling portion 521 can be implemented by designing it in a spring-like form. As shown in
The limiting mechanism 52 can be formed in one piece by cutting a single tube, with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the inner shaft. For example, the tube may have an inner diameter of 3.5-4.5 mm, while the inner shaft has an outer diameter of 1-2 mm, making the tube's inner diameter approximately 2-times that of the inner shaft.
To reduce potential damage to the balloon body, the rods (especially at the second ends) can have relatively wide dimensions in the circumferential direction. For example, the coupling portion 521 can be cut from a tube with an outer diameter of approximately 5 mm and a wall thickness of 0.3-0.7 mm. After compression, it can be mounted onto the inner shaft having an outer diameter of about 1.3 mm. Additionally, the coupling portion 521 can be tightly pressed against the inner shaft's outer surface to increase friction, and adhesive can be applied for further fixation. When assembling the coupling portion 521 with the balloon body, it can be inserted into the balloon body's tubular end and then welded in place, securing it within the balloon body's tubular end.
In
Regarding the connection between the coupling portion 521 and the deformable portion 523, as shown in
The rods 525 of the deformable portion 523 tend to extend helically around the coupling portion's axis. As shown in
The helical extension is beneficial because it increases the effective length of the rod 525 while maintaining the same axial span. This configuration also facilitates placement within the balloon's folds.
Given that the rods are structurally independent, in another embodiment, when assembling the limiting mechanism 52 in the balloon body 542, the balloon body 542 has a folded state and an inflated state. In the folded state, the balloon body 542 features multiple folds 5424, into which the rods 525 can be inserted.
As shown in
The inner shaft can be a hollow structure, for example, it can be used to pass a guide wire. The balloon body 542 can be inflated under the action of fluid to deploy the prosthetic implant, and the fluid used to inflate the balloon body can be delivered via the inner shaft. Optionally, the delivery system further includes an intermediate shaft 543 fitted over the outer periphery of the inner shaft. The distal end of the intermediate shaft 543 can be connected with the proximal end of the balloon body 542, and the two are connected so that the radial gap between the intermediate shaft 543 and the inner shaft 545 is in communication with the proximal end of the balloon body 542 for fluid delivery. The intermediate shaft 543 and the inner shaft 545 are both tubes and can be connected to the control handle and configured with corresponding interfaces.
As shown in
In this embodiment, when the limiting mechanism is enclosed and constrained by the outer sheath 544, the rods are in a compressed state. After the outer sheath is retracted to release the constraint on the limiting mechanism, the rods are only restrained by the balloon body 542, that is, the overall radial constraint force is reduced, so that the second ends can expand radially outward. However, since the balloon body has not yet been inflated, the rods are not fully expanded and remain in a compressed state. To distinguish this from the previously mentioned compressed state, this state is referred to as an “intermediate state.”
Referring to
As shown in
Of course, this configuration can also be applied to the proximal end as needed. Although the rod is not strictly limited to an elongated structure in this embodiment, since the rods are independent of each other, they can vary in a relatively large radial deformation range, making them more effective in compensating for the step 551. This design is more adaptable to different diameters of prosthetic implants or balloon bodies. Other structural features of this embodiment can be combined with those in other embodiments described in this disclosure.
The phrase “not lower than” the outer surface of the distal end of the prosthetic implant means that the protruding portion of the balloon body 542 may be slightly higher than or approximately flush with the outer surface of the distal end of the prosthetic implant. When it is “higher,” the relatively soft and adaptively, radially deformable nature of the balloon body 542 prevents it from creating safety risks similar to the step 551.
The inner shaft 545 can have a through guidewire channel. The balloon body 542 is located at the distal end of the inner shaft 545 and has a folded state (
In the folded state, the length of the middle section 5422 is substantially equal to the axial length of the prosthetic implant 55 in the compressed state. The balloon body 542 is wrapped around the outer periphery of the limiting mechanisms. When the balloon body 542 is folded, the rods are gathered. After loading is completed, the limiting mechanisms 52 enter a compressed state, and the prosthetic implant is radially deformed after being crimped and is located on the outer periphery of the balloon body 542.
The rods 525 of the limiting mechanism 52 are placed in the corresponding folds 5424. The balloon body 542 is folded in an orderly manner, reducing the number of layers between the prosthetic implant and the deformable portion 523 caused by disordered folding. For example, in this embodiment, only one layer of the balloon body material exists between the prosthetic implant and the deformable portion, making the radial protrusion effect of the rods 525 more pronounced, thereby improving the blocking effect. The balloon body 542 is wrapped in a first direction 546 in the circumferential direction in the folded state, and the helical direction of the rods is the same as the first direction 546.
The wider the second end 5252 of the rod 525 is, the more beneficial it is to reduce damage to the balloon body 542. However, to prevent interference with the adjacent folds 5424, the width (or diameter) of the second end 5252 of the rod 525 is in the range of 0.7-1.8 mm.
The number of rods 525 is a common divisor of the number of folds 5424. Here, the number of rods 525, the expansion angle, and the size of the second end are described below.
The blocking effect is related to the expansion angle. The larger the expansion angle, the better the blocking effect, but it is easy to cause damage to the balloon body. The more rods there are, the better the blocking effect, but correspondingly, the size of the second end is reduced, which is easy to cause damage to the balloon body. In some embodiments, the number of rods 525 is between 4 and 10. Specifically, for example, there are 4 rods 525 in
Since the expansion angle of the rod 525 is related to its elastic performance, in one embodiment, the wall thickness of the deformable portion 523 and the coupling portion 521 is in the range of 0.3-0.7 mm. The wall thickness of the two can be the same or different.
When the balloon body 542 is in the folded state, the second end 5252 of at least one rod 525 is not lower than the outer surface of the prosthetic implant 55 in the radial direction, and the second end 5252 acts on the balloon body 542 to form a step S425 that limits the axial movement of the prosthetic implant. The condition of being “not lower than” includes:
As shown in
When the outer sheath 544 is retracted, it follows a predefined sliding path and reaches an extreme position, at which the first limiting mechanism 5210 and the prosthetic implant 55 are exposed outside the outer sheath 544, while the second limiting mechanism 5220 remains inside the outer sheath 544. This embodiment enhances safety by preventing the second limiting mechanism 5220 from being exposed and potentially scratching internal tissue. Preferably, the second limiting mechanism 5220 remains completely inside the outer sheath 544.
The control handle injects fluid, namely, an inflation medium (such as saline) into the balloon assembly 55 through the catheter assembly, inflating the balloon body 542 to expand the prosthetic implant.
The injected fluid can pass through the intermediate shaft. Additionally, the intermediate shaft can slide relative to the balloon body, meaning the second limiting mechanism 220 is movable. Its axial position relative to the balloon body can be adjusted according to the timing or stroke requirements to play a blocking role. In this case, to deliver fluid to inflate the balloon body, the proximal end of the balloon body can be connected to a catheter body. The catheter body can be fitted over the inner shaft, with the radial gap between them serving as a fluid channel. Alternatively, the catheter body and the inner shaft may be arranged side by side, either as separate tubes or as a multi-lumen tube. The proximal end of the catheter body is connected to the control handle and is configured with a corresponding fluid interface.
In some embodiments, the middle section 5422 can guide the inflation medium injected into the balloon body 542 from the proximal section 5421 to the distal section 5423, so that the inflation medium is delivered simultaneously to the distal section 5423 and the proximal section 5421 of the balloon body 542, so as to reduce the probability of axial displacement of the prosthetic implant relative to the balloon body 542 when the balloon body 542 expands the prosthetic implant, and to achieve the intended positioning and orientation of the prosthetic implant during the deployment process.
As shown in
All three designs are intended to prevent the inner peripheral surface of the balloon body 542 from being scratched by the rods 525 of the deformable portion 523 during the folding/inflation process of the balloon body 542.
The second end 5252 can be coated with a polymer layer to form a protective layer. Preferably, as shown in
In order to improve the compliance near the second end and better fit and shape the balloon body, for example, in
As shown in
As shown in
There is at least one locking eyelet 5711, one of which is arranged at the proximal end of the prosthetic implant 55. There is at least one adjustment wire 5710, one of which is located on the proximal side of the rods 525 and at least partially outside the balloon body 542. The proximal end of the locking wire 5720 is controlled by the control handle. In the locked state, the distal end of the locking wire 5720 is fixed to the distal end of the inner shaft 545, for example, inserted into the guide head. In the unlocked state, the locking wire 5720 is driven by the control handle to move and switch to the unlocked state.
Before unlocking, the locking wire 5720 can provide axial limitation for the prosthetic implant 55 throughout the inflation process of the balloon body. Combined with the compensation provided by the rods 525 for the radial gap between the balloon body and the prosthetic implant 55, this design offers a broader range of applications.
During delivery, the prosthetic implant 55 and the balloon body 542 are enclosed by the outer sheath 544. As the procedure progresses, the outer sheath 544 can be withdrawn proximally to expose the prosthetic implant 55 and the balloon body 542, and then the balloon body 542 is inflated to expand and deploy the prosthetic implant.
The limiting mechanism of the present disclosure has the ability of elastic deformation by optimizing the structure of the deformable portion, thereby extending the blocking time for the prosthetic implant and facilitating the assembly of the prosthetic implant in the compressed state. The deformation of the rods adapts to the changes of the balloon body during the folding and inflation process to reduce the damage to the balloon body. In addition, the mutual radial traction can be reduced, further ensuring the precise positioning of the prosthetic implant in an eccentric state.
An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a balloon device 641 for delivering a prosthetic heart valve, which can be used to deliver and expand a prosthetic implant 65a, which may be the prosthetic heart valve 65 or the anchoring stent 656 as described in other embodiments.
The balloon device 641 includes a catheter body 6411 and a balloon body 642. The extension direction of the catheter body is the axial direction. When the catheter body 6411 is straightened, the radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction and the circumferential direction around the axial direction are also determined. The balloon body is in communication with the catheter body, and the balloon body can receive fluid from the catheter body. The balloon body has a folded state and an inflated state under the action of the fluid. As shown in
Referring to
The limiting mechanism includes a limiting body 622, which includes a plurality of rods (such as rods 221). The rods generally extend from a first axial end to a second axial end and are gathered at both ends, forming a hollow cage-like structure with an internal space 62a. One side of the cage-like structure (i.e., the side facing the prosthetic implant in the use state) is used to limit the axial position of the prosthetic implant 65a.
The rods form the side wall of the cage-like structure, and the gaps between the rods form hollow areas on the side wall. For example, a hollow area is formed between the rods 6221a and 6221b in the figure. Thus, the internal space 62a of the cage-like structure is in communication with the external space 62b through the hollow areas, that is, the hollow areas can be used as a fluid channel for inflation.
One part of the cage-like structure is an outward expansion part 623, which has the greatest radial expansion compared to other parts of the cage-like structure. As shown in
Some of the hollow areas are classified as main hollow areas 6222.
For example, the difference between the main hollow areas 6222 and other hollow areas is that these main hollow areas 6222 extend axially across the outward expansion part with the largest outer diameter of the cage-like structure. For example, the hollow area between the rod 623a and the rod 623b in
For another example, the main hollow area 6222 can be a hollow area with a larger axial span than other hollow areas. Referring to
For another example, the main hollow areas are classified as hollow areas spanning the first end and the second end of the limiting body.
In the circumferential direction of the limiting mechanism, the two main hollow areas 6222 are spaced in the circumferential direction in the outward expansion part. In addition, each main hollow area extends continuously without further division by solid elements.
In the use state, the balloon body is wrapped around the outer periphery of the limiting body. The side of the cage-like structure facing the prosthetic implant limits the axial position of the prosthetic implant 65a, and the side of the cage-like structure away from the prosthetic implant plays a role in providing a guide angle for the distal end of the balloon body, making the interventional delivery of the prosthetic implant in the human body smoother. When the fluid enters the balloon body from the fluid inlet 645, the fluid can flow from the internal space 62a to the external space through the main hollow areas 6222, thereby inflating the balloon body.
The balloon device further includes an inner shaft 643 (which can be used as an intermediate piece), a guide head 646 is fixed to the distal end of the inner shaft, and the inner shaft is inserted into the catheter body and the balloon body. For example, the inner shaft can be a guidewire shaft for accommodating a guide wire.
The limiting mechanism 62 further includes a coupling member 621, and the coupling member 621 can be fixed to the inner shaft and connected to the limiting body. It can be understood that when the balloon device is loaded with a prosthetic implant (i.e., in the use state), the coupling member 621 can be fitted over the inner shaft, with their positions fixed relative to each other. In addition, the coupling member and the limiting body can be directly or indirectly connected, so that the positions of the coupling member, the catheter body, and the limiting body are relatively fixed in the use state. Furthermore, when the limiting mechanism of this embodiment is used, the limiting mechanism is assembled into the balloon body 642 of the balloon device. The balloon body 642 has a folded state and an inflated state. As shown in
In addition, during the process of loading the prosthetic implant onto the balloon device, different positions around the limiting body experience varying radial constraint forces, with different force directions. The main hollow areas provided in the outward expansion part enable the rods on both sides to adaptively adjust their spacing in the circumferential direction. This means the rods can self-adjust based on the magnitude and direction of the radial constraint forces (that is, the rods can adaptively adjust the size of the main hollowed area), facilitating easier implant loading.
As shown in
In some embodiments, in the axial direction of the limiting mechanism, at least one side of the main hollow area extends adjacent to the coupling member on that side. Here, “adjacent” means that the two are relatively close, and the rods forming the main hollow area can be directly or indirectly connected. For example, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Referring to
The limiting mechanism is configured to limit the axial movement of the prosthetic implant at least when the prosthetic implant is installed on the balloon body in a radially compressed state. Specifically, the limiting mechanism includes a limiting body. The limiting body generally has a cage-like structure 624, which can be formed by multiple converging rods. One part of the cage-like structure is an outward expansion part, which has the largest radial expansion relative to other parts of the cage-like structure. The structure of the cage-like structure and the outward expansion part can also be combined with other embodiments.
In the axial direction of the limiting mechanism, one end of the limiting body is a first end 6224 facing the prosthetic implant 65a in the use state, and the other end is an opposite second end 6225. The outward expansion part 623 is adjacent to the first end of the limiting body, as shown in
The balloon device 641 further includes an inner shaft 643, which passes through the catheter body 6411 and the balloon body. The limiting mechanism further includes a coupling member 621, which is fixed to the inner shaft and connected to the limiting body.
The outward expansion part 623 being adjacent to the first end 6224 of the limiting body means that the axial distance H2 between the outward expansion part and the second end 6225 is greater than the axial distance H1 between the outward expansion part and the first end 6224.
Overall, the rods 623d between the outward expansion part and the second end extend with a gentler slop, which facilitates smooth guidance for interventional delivery, while the rods 623c between the outward expansion part and the first end have a steeper inclination, providing better blocking effect and reducing the axial misalignment between the limiting body and the prosthetic implant.
Depending on the extension trend of the rods 623c, as shown in
The cage-like structure is shown in
Another embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a balloon device for delivering a prosthetic implant. The balloon device 641 includes a catheter body 6411, a balloon body 642, and a limiting mechanism 62. The catheter body, balloon body, and limiting mechanism described in this embodiment can be combined with other embodiments.
As shown in
Overall, the above-mentioned main hollow area 6222 is formed between the rods 6221a and 6221b. In the cross section through the outward expansion part, as shown in
During the loading process of the prosthetic implant, different parts of the limiting body in the circumferential direction have slightly different resistance to radial constraints. The rods can self-adjust in the circumferential direction, that is, they can adapt to the loading process via local deformation, preventing overall deformation of the cage-like structure. In addition, the gaps (corresponding to the main hollow areas mentioned above) between adjacent vertices of the polygon can accommodate the folded portions of the balloon body, so that the balloon body can be folded in an orderly manner, reducing the radial size after loading.
The polygon surrounded by the center points of the rods is a regular polygon, and the number of sides, depending on the number of rods in this part, can be in the range of 4 to 12, and preferably in the range of 6 to 8. This ensures the circumferential strength while taking into account better deformation adaptability.
In the axial direction of the limiting mechanism, one end of the limiting body is a first end 6224 facing the prosthetic implant 65a in the use state, and the other end is an opposite second end 6225. Both ends of the limiting body are converged toward the central axis of the limiting body. Compared with the limiting body with one end open in the prior art, the cage-like structure with both ends converged can provide better radial support force.
In some embodiments, the cage-like structure 624 is formed by a plurality of rods. The rods 6221 can extend on a spherical surface or an ellipsoidal surface, so that the cage-like structure 624 generally forms a sphere or an ellipsoid. The cross-section of the ellipsoid is an ellipsoidal surface, and the major axis of the ellipsoidal surface is in the same direction as the axial direction. As shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
When the first cone and the second cone have different tapers, it can be understood that they gradually converge in shape from the outward expansion part, but with different tapering trends. The intersection of the first and second cones marks the position of the outward expansion part (as shown in
Referring to
The deflection direction and radial tapering trend of the two cones affect the overall shape of the cage-like structure. For example, in
As shown in
The first cone and the second cone intersect at the outward expansion part, and the outward expansion part represents the maximum radial dimension of both cones. The included angle C of the two cones at the intersection is in the range of 20 to 120 degrees.
Regarding the connection structure between the coupling member and the delivery system, as shown in
The limiting mechanism 62 is installed inside the balloon body 642 and fitted over the inner shaft 643. The coupling member 621 is a radially compressible tubular structure. “Compressible” means that the coupling member can be radially compressed during the assembly process, but its shape remains fixed in the use state.
For example, the inner diameter of the coupling member 621 before assembly may be larger than the outer diameter of the catheter body. During assembly, the coupling member 621 is radially compressed to tighten around and secure itself to the catheter body.
To achieve radial deformability, the coupling member 621 can adopt a mesh structure or a wave structure. As shown in
Regarding the distribution of the rods, the cage-like structure 624 is formed by a plurality of rods 6221, and all the rods define the side wall of the cage-like structure. To ensure the necessary support strength, it is preferred that no rod extends in isolation between the two coupling members. In other words, each individual rod must intersect with at least one adjacent rod during its extension. These intersections between adjacent rods serve as fixed junction points. Compared with the existing limiting mechanisms formed by braided metal wires, although there are also intersection points between the metal wires, the two metal wires at the intersection point can move relative to each other. In the present disclosure, the intersection points of adjacent rods are all fixed nodes, which improves the radial support strength.
As shown in
In the circumferential direction of the outward expansion part, multiple junction points 62212 are spaced apart on the cage-like structure 624. These multiple branches or intersections increase the contact area between the outward expansion part and the balloon body, allowing the balloon body to expand in the circumferential direction to an ideal shape while preventing insufficient stiffness of the limiting mechanism and easy damage to the balloon body caused by sharp rods.
For wider rods, their stiffness can be adjusted through slits. As shown in
Regarding the distribution of the main hollow areas, referring to
Referring to
When the main hollow area is projected radially onto the plane where the axis is located, the outward expansion part is the widest part of the projection area. In order to increase the contact area between the outward expansion part and the balloon body, the number of main hollow areas is in the range of 6 to 9.
In some embodiments, the hollowed-out areas of the cage-like structure may include main hollow areas 6222 and corresponding auxiliary hollow areas 6223, wherein the auxiliary hollow areas avoid the outward expansion part 623. For example, two rods can form an auxiliary hollow area 6223 by bifurcating and then intersecting on their extension paths. From the perspective of circumferential span of the main hollow area and the auxiliary hollow area, the maximum circumferential span S1 of the main hollow area corresponds to the location of the outward expansion part, and the maximum circumferential span S2 of the auxiliary hollow area 6223 avoids the outward expansion part and is smaller than the span S1 of the main hollow area. The limiting mechanism can be formed in one piece by cutting a tube. When doing so, the slit in the auxiliary hollow area 6223 may extend to the coupling portion. Referring to
When cutting a tube, as shown in
Referring to
The limiting mechanism includes a coupling member 621, a limiting body 622, and a guide tube 625. The coupling member is connected to the inner shaft, and the coupling member is also connected to at least one of the limiting body and the guide tube. The coupling member and the limiting body mentioned below can refer to the previous embodiments.
The limiting body is generally a cage-like structure. The cage-like structure can be formed by a plurality of rods extending on a spherical surface or a cone surface. The limiting body includes a plurality of rods arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, with main hollow areas formed between adjacent rods. The structure of the cage-like structure, the rods and the hollow areas can also refer to the previous embodiments.
The guide tube 625 is connected to the proximal side of the limiting body, and the guide tube 625 and the limiting body are formed in one piece by cutting a tube made of a shape memory alloy material (such as Nitinol alloy). For example, the tube has an initial outer diameter D1, and is cut to form the guide tube and the limiting body having a plurality of rods. The outer diameter of the guide tube is the outer diameter D1 of the tube. The plurality of rods can be made into a cage-like structure using molds and other preforming processes. Due to the shape memory alloy's properties, the limiting body can revert to a tubular shape during the assembly process.
The coupling member has various distribution methods. As shown in
As shown in
Referring to
The second coupling member 6212 is located at the proximal end of the guide tube 625 and is adjacent to the connection between the balloon body 642 and the catheter body 6411. The second coupling member 6212 can divert the fluid in the fluid channel. Before the balloon body is inflated, the second coupling member 6212 diverts part of the fluid to the interior of the flow guide tube, and this part of the fluid eventually inflates the first part through the hollow areas of the cage-like structure.
The proximal end of the guide tube 625 has a diameter-reduced section 6252 and is connected to the corresponding coupling member through the diameter-reduced section. This design allows the connection between coupling members with different diameters and the guide tube.
The guide tube has fluid inlets 6251, which are distributed on the diameter-reduced section and/or the circumferential wall of the flow guide tube. Preferably, the circumferential wall of the guide tube is provided with hollowed-out gaps, which can be elongated as shown in
Referring to
The limiting body 22a and the limiting body 22b are both cage-like structures, and the two cage-like structures are independent of each other. For example, the two cage-like structures in
The interventional delivery system includes a control handle 63 and a catheter assembly 64 controllably connected to the control handle 63. The prosthetic implant 65a is loaded onto the catheter assembly 64. In an interventional delivery system based on balloon expansion, the catheter assembly 64 can include a balloon device 641 and an outer sheath 644 that is slidably fitted over the balloon device.
The balloon device 641 includes a balloon body 642, which includes a first part 6421, a middle part 6422 and a second part 6423 from the distal end to the proximal end, and the middle part 6422 is used for loading and fixing the prosthetic implant 65a.
The limiting mechanism is generally disposed in the balloon body 642. As shown in
The limiting mechanism of the present disclosure has a simple structure and can be formed in one piece by cutting a tube. The specific structures of the coupling member and the limiting body can refer to the previous embodiments. For example, as shown in
When the limiting mechanism is not provided on the delivery system, the prosthetic implant is crimped on the catheter (such as the balloon body) of the delivery system. Since the outer diameter of the prosthetic implant in the crimped state is larger than the outer diameter of the catheter, steps will be formed between the proximal and distal ends of the prosthetic implant and the catheter, posing a certain risk. The limiting body of the limiting mechanism can fill the step, especially the distal step, which is beneficial for implantation. For example, when the prosthetic implant is a prosthetic heart valve, this design is beneficial for trans-valve procedures. In addition, the circumferential strength and blocking effect of the limiting body (the outward expansion part forms a blocking step for the prosthetic heart valve) are related to the wall thickness of the tube, and the wall thickness of the tube is selected within the range of 0.1 mm to 0.25 mm.
Referring to
The coupling members include a first coupling member 6211 (located at the proximal end) and a second coupling member 6212 (located at the distal end) spaced apart in the axial direction. The two coupling members are fitted over the inner shaft 643. The coupling members can be bonded to the inner shaft 643. Alternatively, as shown in
The limiting body is used to fill the first part 6421 of the balloon body 642 without interfering with the loading area in the middle of the balloon body, and it provides a guide angle for the distal end of the balloon body. The limiting body includes a plurality of rods arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, with main hollow areas formed between adjacent outward expansion parts. The structure of the rods and the hollow areas can refer to the previous embodiments.
The balloon body 642 has a folded state and an inflated state. As shown in
The limiting mechanism of this embodiment is formed in one piece by cutting a tube. The tube can be made of materials such as memory alloy, and is pre-formed into a cage-like structure before being assembled into the balloon body. During assembly, the blocking member can be straightened to facilitate assembly.
The assembly process of the balloon device is as follows:
Referring to
The balloon body 642 has a folded state and an inflated state. When the prosthetic implant is delivered during intervention, the balloon body is in the folded state. The operator injects fluid, i.e., an inflation medium (e.g., saline), into the balloon body 642 to inflate the balloon body 642, so as to expand and deploy the prosthetic implant 65a. During the deployment of the prosthetic implant, i.e., during the inflation of the balloon body, the radial gap between the catheter body 6411 and the inner shaft 643 is a fluid channel in communication with the interior of the balloon body. A guide channel for the fluid to pass through is defined between the guide tube 625 and the inner shaft 643. The guide tube 625 can divert the fluid in the fluid channel, and inflate the first and second parts of the balloon body at the same time through the guide channel. When the prosthetic implant is completely deployed, the balloon body is in the inflated state. During the delivery process, the limiting body is used to fill the first part of the balloon body 642. The side of the limiting body facing the first end blocks the distal end of the prosthetic implant 5a, so as to position the prosthetic implant during the inflation process. The side of the limiting body facing the second end plays a role in providing a guide angle for the distal end of the balloon body, making the interventional delivery of the prosthetic implant in the human body smoother. To achieve effective guidance, the radial dimension of the limiting body should be larger than the radial dimension of the prosthetic implant crimped on the balloon body but not excessively large to avoid assembly difficulties. Preferably, the radial dimension of the limiting body ranges from 7.5 mm to 9.5 mm.
During the delivery process, a blocking member 67 can be provided outside the proximal end of the balloon body to further limit the proximal end of the prosthetic implant. Alternatively, a conventional locking wire structure in the art can be used to further limit the proximal end of the prosthetic implant.
The transcatheter implant system according to the above-mentioned embodiment further includes a control handle 63 and an outer sheath 644. The proximal end of the control handle has an interface 631 (as shown in
The outer sheath 644 is slidably fitted on the outer periphery of the balloon device. The proximal end of the outer sheath is connected to the control handle. The outer sheath and the balloon body are movable relative to each other, allowing the outer sheath to either cover or expose the prosthetic implant. During the interventional delivery of the prosthetic implant, the outer sheath 644 is fitted over the balloon device and the prosthetic implant, providing protection. After the prosthetic implant is delivered to the intended position, the outer sheath 644 can be removed by operating the control handle.
During the implantation process, the limiting body includes a loaded state, an intermediate state, and an expanded state. In the loaded state, the limiting body is located inside the balloon body and the outer sheath, and is subjected to radial forces from both the balloon body and the outer sheath. The outer sheath here can be an outer sheath 644 (i.e., a catheter sheath), or a device independent of the delivery system, such as a catheter sheath or an outer sheath of a sheath protector.
In the intermediate state, the limiting body is released from the radial constraint of the outer sheath and is only subjected to the radial force of the balloon body. In this state, the limiting body expands slightly compared to the loaded state but does not fully expand due to the radial force of the balloon body, so it is called the intermediate state.
When the delivery system and the prosthetic implant reach the appropriate position in the human body, the fluid can be injected into the balloon body to inflate it. When the balloon is inflated to the point where it no longer exerts a radial force on the limiting body, the limiting body enters the expanded state in which the limiting body is fully expanded.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure improve the structure of the prosthetic heart valve to increase the compatibility of the prosthetic heart valve with the interventional delivery system and enhance the control effect.
Referring to
The first stent can be in the shape of a hollow straight cylinder, with the side wall of the hollow straight cylinder forming struts 6511 by carving. A plurality of cells 6512 are defined by the struts. The cell can be diamond-shaped, hexagonal, fishbone-shaped, etc., and the intersection of adjacent struts is a node 65111.
The first stent has an axial direction (the axis direction, such as the X direction shown in
In the axial direction of the first stent, taking the prosthetic heart valve 65 as an aortic valve or a pulmonary valve example, depending on the normal blood flow direction in the human body, one side is the inflow side 6513 and the other side is the outflow side 6514. The first stent has ends on both sides, which correspond to the outermost nodes 65111. For example, as shown in
The inflow side and/or outflow side of the first stent has an eyelet structure 653 protruding from the corresponding end. Taking the outflow side as an example, as shown in
In one embodiment, L1:L2 is approximately in the range of 1.2-1.6:1. Specifically, L1 may be in the range of 0.6-0.8 mm, preferably 0.7 mm; L2 may be in the range of 0.4-0.6 mm, preferably 0.5 mm.
The prosthetic heart valve is usually implanted using a delivery system. When a balloon expansion-based interventional delivery system is used, the first stent is installed on the balloon body 642 in a radially compressed state. The protruding eyelet structure facilitates the connection and control of the locking wire structure of the delivery system, making it easier to pass the locking wire structure through the eyelet structure and axially position the prosthetic heart valve on the delivery system. When the first stent is deformed and expanded, the eyelet structure is also deformed and expanded and basically aligns with the end of the first stent, preventing the risk of the protruding eyelet structure puncturing blood vessels after implantation of the prosthetic heart valve.
The prosthetic heart valve of this embodiment can be a prosthetic pulmonary valve. Preferably, it is deployed by means of balloon expansion. In the compressed state, the eyelet structure 653a is more prominent, which facilitates axial positioning with the balloon body, while in the expanded state, the protrusion is reduced, minimizing risks.
In some embodiments, the first stent has a mesh structure formed by struts, and the eyelet structure is defined by the struts at the end. For example, in
Both axial ends of the first stent have eyelet structures. As shown in
In some embodiments, the first stent 651 is in the shape of a straight cylinder and includes multiple rows of cells in the axial direction. The shape of the cell is roughly rhombus or rhombus-like. As shown in
As shown in
Referring to
In some embodiments, in the first cell 654, the strength of the struts around the eyelet structure is less than that of other struts of the first cell, making the eyelet structure more deformable. Specifically, for example, in the first cell 654 as shown in
The first stent includes multiple rows of cells, for example, 3 to 6 rows. For example, there are 5 rows of cells in
Referring to
The skirt 657 is connected to and surrounded by the inner wall of the first stent, and one axial side of the skirt is connected to the leaflets 652. The skirt can be sewn or bonded to the stent and the leaflets, in order to close the blood flow channel.
The sealing member 659 is fixed to the radial outer side of the skirt 657 and protrudes from the radial inner side of the first stent to the radial outer side of the first stent through the corresponding cells. The sealing member is made of foam material, providing adaptive sealing to reduce paravalvular leakage.
In one embodiment, the skirt and the sealing member are formed in one piece or adhesively fixed together. For example, the skirt may be made of PET material, and the sealing member may be made of PU foam material. For another example, the skirt and the sealing member are both made of PU material.
On the one hand, the PU skirt offers advantages such as high elongation and thin thickness, which help prevent the risk of tearing. Due to its high elongation, the PU skirt can adapt to various cell shapes and sizes, including smaller diamond-shaped cells with less deformation and larger fishbone-shaped cells with greater deformation.
On the other hand, the PU sealing member is compressible and self-expandable. When subjected to uneven external forces, the PU sealing member can automatically adjust the foam height and thickness to closely fit the valve annulus, thereby preventing paravalvular leakage. Additionally, the PU sealing member does not significantly increase the size of the delivery system.
When the sealing member and the skirt are made of the same PU material (when processed separately, it is not required that the molecular weight or hardness ratio is strictly the same), they can be bonded or integrally processed to achieve high peel strength. This ensures that even if the sealing member is exposed and comes into contact with the catheter assembly of the interventional delivery system or body tissues, it is not easy to detach, thereby avoiding safety risks.
As shown in
In another embodiment, the skirt may also be made of biological pericardial material, such as porcine pericardium or bovine pericardium. To facilitate the installation of the plurality of sealing blocks, the sealing member 659 further includes an inner lining film 658. The inner lining film and the sealing blocks may be made of the same material to facilitate bonding or integral processing of the two. As shown in
In some embodiments, the transcatheter implant system can limit the axial movement of the prosthetic heart valve by threading the locking wire structure 68 connected to the balloon device through the eyelet structures, that is, limit the proximal and distal ends of the first stent. The locking wire structure 68 can include an adjustment wire and a locking wire, and has a locked state for limiting the first stent and an unlocked state for releasing the first stent. The details will be described later.
The present disclosure further provides an embodiment of a transcatheter implant system. For example,
The transcatheter implant system 61 has a proximal end 6101 and an opposite distal end 6102. When indicating direction, the term “proximal” generally refers to the side close to the operator (e.g., a physician), while “distal” refers to the side far away from the operator. Along the interventional path, each component has its distal and proximal ends. Theoretically, when the catheter assembly and the control handle are fully straightened, the proximal and distal ends form a straight line, defining the axial direction, as well as the radial direction perpendicular to it and the circumferential direction around it. When used to refer to a structure, the term “end” in this disclosure refers to the endpoint of the structure, or a point or area on that side, or a specific structure connected to that point or area. Unless otherwise specified, the axial direction mentioned in the embodiments above and below refers to the direction along the straight line between the proximal and distal ends that is theoretically determined when the catheter assembly and the control handle are completely straightened. Correspondingly, the radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction and the circumferential direction around the axial direction can be determined.
The catheter assembly 64 generally includes a balloon device 641. An outer sheath 644 that is slidably fitted over the balloon device can be configured as needed. As shown in
The transcatheter implant system may further include a limiting mechanism 62 and a locking wire structure 68 for limiting the movement of the prosthetic heart valve. For example, the locking wire structure is arranged outside the balloon device, and the limiting mechanism 62 can be arranged inside or outside the balloon device, both of which can limit the axial movement of the prosthetic heart valve 65. Some of the following embodiments provide improvements for the limiting mechanism and the locking wire structure.
Referring to
The leaflet 7100 includes a leaflet body 7110, which has a transverse direction and a longitudinal direction in a flattened state. The outer edge of the leaflet body 7110 includes a free edge 7120 and a fixed edge 7130 distributed on two opposite sides in the longitudinal direction. The free edge 7120 is used to control the blood flow channel in the prosthetic heart valve by deformation. The commissure tabs 7140 are arranged on two opposite sides in the transverse direction of the leaflet body 7110. The free edge 7120 and the fixed edge 7130 meet at the commissure tab 7140 on the corresponding side. The junction of the commissure tab 7140 with the free edge 7120 is provided with an outward-protruding portion 7150 extending longitudinally relative to the free edge 7120. The transverse direction and the longitudinal direction referred to in this disclosure can refer to the X direction and the Y direction in
During suturing, the commissure tabs 7140 of the two leaflets 7100 are folded and aligned for stitching, and finally the sutures are tightened and knotted for fixation, wherein the suture knots are specifically placed on the outward-protruding portions 7150. When the sutures are tightened and knotted, the outward-protruding portions 7150 are deformed and absorb stress, which greatly reduces the impact on the free edges 7120. This prevents the free edges 7120 from being noticeably affected by the tightening of the sutures, thereby addressing the issue of improper closure of the blood flow channel caused by the deformation of the free edges 7120 during the suturing of the leaflets 7100. The outward-protruding portion 7150 also increases the suture area, enhancing the structural strength.
In this embodiment, the outward-protruding portion 7150 intersects with the extension line of the fixed edge 7130. The inner side of the extension line basically defines the working area of the leaflet 7100. Positioning the outward-protruding portion 7150 in this manner ensures both adequate suture strength and an appropriate opening size of the leaflet 7100. For example, at least ¼ of the area of the outward-protruding portion 7150 is located inside the extension line (refer to L in
The outward-protruding portion 7150 is strip-shaped, approximately rectangular, and the length direction of the strip is consistent with the transverse direction of the leaflet body. Therefore, even after being folded into a double-layer structure, it maintains sufficient transverse span to facilitate suturing operations and absorb deformation caused by compression of the knot.
The outward-protruding portion 7150 has an inner edge 7151 and an opposite outer edge 7152. The outer edge 7152 transitions to the top side of the commissure tab 7140, forming a noticeable corner and making the outer edge 7152 roughly parallel to the outer side of the commissure tab 7140.
The outward-protruding portion 7150, after being folded in half, can provide sufficient structural strength around the suture hole 7173 mentioned below. To minimize folding and suturing operations on the commissure tab 7140, the outer side of the commissure tab 7140 exceeds the outer edge 7152 by at least 2 mm in the transverse direction of the leaflet body, for example, by 2.5 to 5 mm. The junction of the commissure tab 7140 with the fixed edge 7130 has an opening area 7131. Since the commissure tab 7140 needs to be folded during suturing, the opening area 7131 can reduce the traction and deformation of the leaflet body 7110 and the commissure tab 7140 during folding, especially release the tensile stress during longitudinal deflection.
Furthermore, the transverse positions of the outward-protruding portion 7150 and the opening area 7131 are aligned. In the flattened state, the outward-protruding portion 7150 is roughly rectangular, the transverse length of the outward-protruding portion 7150 is greater than the transverse length of the opening area 7131, and the opening area 7131 is located below the center line of the rectangle (L1 is the center line as shown in
In one embodiment, the commissure tab 7140 has:
The inner side and the outer side referred to above are relative to the leaflet body 7110, the side close to the center line of the leaflet body 7110 is the inner side, and the side away from the center line of the leaflet body 7110 is the outer side. To facilitate suturing with the stent 7210, the joints 7170 of two adjacent leaflets 7100 are aligned and sutured together (the leaflets 7100 can be preassembled into a cylindrical preform by pre-fixing them in pairs during assembly), and are then secured against the radial inner side of the stent 7210 (the joints 7170 can also be sutured to the stent 7210). The second folded portion 7172 of each leaflet 7100 extends to the radial outer side of the stent 7210, wrapping around the corresponding part of the stent 7210 and being sutured in place.
Referring to
After the first suture 7174 passes through all the suture holes 7173, it returns to the top side of the outward-protruding portion 7150 and is knotted for the second time to complete the fixation of the two joints 7170. As can be seen in the figure, the first suture 7174 has two knots 7180, which are arranged side by side on the top sides of the two adjacent outward-protruding portions 7150. At this point, the knots 7180 only interfere with the outward-protruding portions 7150, causing certain deformation of the outward-protruding portions 7150. However, the deformation of the outward-protruding portions 7150 has minimal interference with the free edges 7120, thereby reducing the impact on the free edges 7120.
Referring to
To reinforce the connection strength between the joints 7170 and the support bar 7220, the second suture 7176 is looped around the joints 7170 and the support bar 7220, with each loop containing one knot 7181. Each loop of the second suture 7176 passes through the joints 7170 of two adjacent leaflets 7100 on the radial inner side of the stent 7210, securing the adjacent joints 7170 tightly together. Each knot 7181 is placed within the corresponding recessed area 7221.
The second folded portions 7172 of two adjacent leaflets 7100 wrap around the support bar 7220 from two opposite sides of the support bar 7220 to improve the connection strength, and the second folded portions 7172 wrap around the knot(s) 7181 of the second suture(s) 7176, making the whole structure more concise and reducing the number of exposed knots. The second folded portions 7172 are connected to the support bar 7220 through the third suture 7178, and in the circumferential direction of the stent 7210, all the knot(s) 7182 of the third suture(s) 7178 are located on the side of the support bar 7220. Preferably, in order to facilitate knotting and positioning, all the knot(s) 7182 of the third suture(s) 7178 are located on the same side of the support bar 7220. In other words, for the same support bar 7220, on two opposite sides in the circumferential direction of the stent 7210, one side defines a first recessed area 7222 for all the knot(s) 7181 of the second suture(s) 7176 to be placed, while the other side defines a second recessed area 7223 for all the knot(s) 7182 of the third suture(s) 7178 to be placed. All the knot(s) 7180 of the second suture(s) 7176 and the third suture(s) 7178 are placed in the corresponding recessed areas. The first recessed area 7222 and the second recessed area 7223 can be arranged on the support bar 7220 symmetrically or staggered.
There are multiple recessed areas on the same side of the support bar 7220 arranged along the extension direction of the support bar 7220. The second sutures 7176 and the third sutures 7178 are respectively looped around the support bar 7220 for multiple times, with each loop containing a knot positioned within the corresponding recessed area. Each loop of the third suture 7178 passes through the joints 7170 and the second folded portions 7172 of two adjacent leaflets 7100 on the radial inner side of the stent 7210. In other words, for the same leaflet 7100, the second folded portion 7172 and the joint 7170 are attached to each other to form a three-layer structure, and the third suture 7178 passes through the three-layer structure. To minimize the number of suture holes, the third suture 7178 can be threaded through the suture holes 7175 of the second suture 7176. The suture holes 7175 are arranged axially, with a total of three holes, all located on the joint 7170. These three holes are specifically designated as suture holes 7175a, 7175b, and 7175c.
Referring to
The balloon device 641 includes:
The locking structure 68 includes:
The first adjustment wire and the second adjustment wire are matched in length to simultaneously adjust the proximal and distal positions of the first stent, so that the first stent is approximately located in the middle of the balloon body in the axial direction. After the relative positions of the first stent and the balloon body are adjusted, they are locked in place.
The transcatheter implant system further includes the control handle 63 and the outer sheath 644 mentioned above, and when in use, the operation includes the following steps:
In some embodiments, the transcatheter implant system can limit the axial movement of the prosthetic heart valve by a limiting mechanism(s), and specifically limit the distal end and/or proximal end of the first stent.
Referring to
The catheter body and the balloon body can be combined with the limiting mechanism of the previous embodiments, and some embodiments below further improve the limiting mechanism. Referring to
The catheter body 6411 is used to deliver fluid. The balloon body 642 has a folded state (as shown in
During the delivery process, the limiting body is used to fill the first part of the balloon body 642, and the side of the limiting body facing the proximal end blocks the distal end of the prosthetic heart valve 65. In addition, the limiting mechanism can fill the step between the balloon body and the prosthetic heart valve, which is helpful for delivery and reduces risks.
After the inflation is completed, the first stent is in an expanded state, so that the prosthetic heart valve 65 can be deployed via balloon expansion.
In some embodiments, the limiting mechanism includes a limiting body, a guide tube, and a coupling member. The limiting body is generally a cage-like structure. The guide tube is connected to the limiting body and they are formed in one piece by cutting a tube made of shape memory alloy. The coupling member is connected to the inner shaft, and the coupling member is also connected to at least one of the limiting body and the guide tube. The specific structures of the limiting body, the guide tube, and the coupling member can refer to the embodiments below.
Referring to
In some embodiments, referring to
In some embodiments, the limiting mechanism 62 can include a limiting body to limit the axial movement of the distal end of the first stent. The proximal and distal ends of the first stent both have eyelet structures protruding from the corresponding ends, and one or both ends can be limited by the locking wire structure.
Referring to
Referring to
In the embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, the limiting mechanism 62 can include two limiting bodies respectively located at the proximal end and the distal end of the balloon body to limit the axial movement of the distal end and the proximal end of the first stent.
In the present disclosure, improvements are made to the prosthetic heart valve of the transcatheter implant system.
The present disclosure further provides a prosthetic heart valve assembly, including a prosthetic pulmonary valve (refer to the afore-mentioned prosthetic heart valve 65) and an anchoring stent 656. The prosthetic pulmonary valve includes a first stent 651 and a plurality of leaflets 652. The first stent 651 is a radially deformable cylindrical structure, the interior of the first stent is a blood flow channel, and the leaflets cooperate with each other to control the blood flow channel.
Referring to
The anchoring stent also has a pre-expanded state before assembly (as shown in
In addition to the prosthetic pulmonary valve mentioned above, the prosthetic heart valve assembly can also be applied for aortic valves, mitral valves, and tricuspid valves, etc. In the expanded state, the axial length S2 of the anchoring stent is greater than the length S1 of the first stent, S2 is approximately 1.5 to 2 times of S1, and the first stent is approximately located in the middle of the anchoring stent in the axial direction.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the axial position of the first stent does not exceed the middle part, that is, the two ends of the first stent are located between the two convex tips of the two rows of fishbone-shaped cells.
In the diamond-shaped cell at the end part of the anchoring stent, the two struts facing away from the middle part have lower strength than the two struts shared with the middle part. That is, as shown in
The strength of struts 65641 and 65642 is lower than that of the other two struts. The strength of the struts can be reduced by reducing metal content, further increasing the angle B1 formed after the expansion of the diamond-shaped cell 6564.
In addition, by adjusting metal content at different positions of the anchoring stent, issues such as different metal contents of the anchoring stent in the axial direction and inconsistent crimping diameters at different positions of the anchoring stent when crimped on the balloon can be avoided. In conjunction with
In some embodiments, as shown in
The above-mentioned prosthetic pulmonary valve and anchoring stent can be deployed via balloon expansion or self-expansion.
Preferably, to ensure proper contact between the prosthetic pulmonary valve and the anchoring stent in the expanded state, the anchoring stent can be first deployed via balloon expansion or self-expansion, and then the prosthetic pulmonary valve can be deployed via balloon expansion.
To facilitate the cooperation with the prosthetic heart valve assembly in the above-mentioned embodiment, referring to
The transcatheter implant system first deploys the anchoring stent, and after the deployment is completed, the anchoring stent has a first diameter in a pre-expanded state. For example, the anchoring stent in this state may be smaller than or equal to its nominal diameter.
Then, the prosthetic heart valve is deployed, ensuring it contacts the anchoring stent. In this state, the anchoring stent has a second diameter, and the second diameter is greater than the first diameter. The second diameter may be greater than or equal to the nominal diameter of the anchoring stent.
In one embodiment, two delivery systems may be provided, one for implanting the prosthetic heart valve and one for implanting the anchoring stent.
As shown in
The prosthetic heart valve and the anchoring stent can refer to the previous embodiments, and the delivery system further includes the catheter body for delivering fluid into the first balloon body and the control handle mentioned above.
As shown in
Alternatively, the anchoring stent can be deployed by self-expansion. For example, the anchoring stent is made of shape memory metal material. Accordingly, the second delivery system can be a delivery system for delivering the self-expandable stent, which can be based on existing technology and is not described in detail here.
In another embodiment, one delivery system can be provided and shared by the prosthetic heart valve and the anchoring stent.
When the anchoring stent is deployed via balloon expansion, as shown in
Alternatively, when the anchoring stent is self-expandable, the delivery system can include only one balloon device for expanding the prosthetic heart valve (not shown). The delivery system may further include a sheath for accommodating the anchoring stent in a compressed state in the sheath.
In the above embodiment, when the anchoring stent is deployed via balloon expansion, a limiting mechanism(s) 62 can be provided at the distal end or both ends of the anchoring stent during the process of delivering and expanding the anchoring stent. If two independent delivery systems are used, the balloon body of the second delivery system can be provided with a limiting mechanism(s) to limit the axial movement of the distal and/or proximal ends of the anchoring stent. If only one delivery system is used, both the first balloon body and the second balloon body are provided with limiting mechanisms to limit the axial movement of the distal and/or proximal ends of the prosthetic heart valve and the anchoring stent. The specific structure of the limiting mechanism can refer to the following embodiments.
In some embodiments, the transcatheter implant system can also include a locking wire structure to limit the axial movement of the prosthetic heart valve assembly. Referring to
Alternatively, both the prosthetic heart valve and the anchoring stent are provided with a locking wire structure 68 for axial limiting. Specifically, if a shared delivery system is used, both balloon bodies of the delivery system can be provided with a locking wire structure. Alternatively, if two delivery systems are used, the balloon body of each delivery system can be provided with a locking wire structure.
As shown in
When the locking wire structure is configured for the prosthetic heart valve and the anchoring stent, especially in the case where only one delivery system is provided and shared by the first stent and the anchoring stent, as shown in
In other embodiments, the locking wire may further include a first locking wire and a third locking wire (not shown). In the locked state, the first locking wire passes through the corresponding locking eyelets to restrict the prosthetic heart valve, and the third locking wire passes through the corresponding locking eyelets to restrict the anchoring stent.
In some embodiments, whether two independently configured delivery systems or a shared delivery system is used, both the locking wire structure and the limiting mechanism can be configured for the anchoring stent, or for both the prosthetic heart valve and the anchoring stent.
When the transcatheter implant system employs two independently configured delivery systems, a locking wire structure and a limiting mechanism(s) can be configured for the anchoring stent in the second delivery system, or both the first delivery system and the second delivery system can be each configured with a locking wire structure and a limiting mechanism(s). The detail refers to the following embodiments.
When the transcatheter implant system employs a shared delivery system, a locking wire structure and a limiting mechanism(s) can be configured in the second balloon body for the anchoring stent, or a locking wire structure and a limiting mechanism(s) can be configured in both the first balloon body and the second balloon body. The detail refers to the previous embodiments.
The present disclosure further provides a releasing method for a prosthetic heart valve assembly from an interventional delivery system, which is applicable to the prosthetic heart valve assembly and interventional delivery system in the above-mentioned embodiments.
The prosthetic heart valve assembly includes a prosthetic heart valve and an anchoring stent, both of which have an expanded state and a compressed state. The specific structure of the prosthetic heart valve assembly refers to the previous embodiments.
The interventional delivery system includes at least an inner shaft 643 for interventional delivery, to which both the prosthetic heart valve and the anchoring stent are connected in the compressed state.
The method releasing for the prosthetic heart valve assembly from the interventional delivery system mentioned above includes the following steps:
This releasing method can be implemented not only in product testing and ex vivo simulation training but also in interventional surgical procedures.
In some embodiments, when the prosthetic heart valve assembly is deployed via self-expansion, the interventional delivery system further includes an outer sheath 644, which is slidably installed on the outer periphery of the inner shaft. The anchoring stent 656 is connected to the inner shaft 643 and enclosed by the outer sheath.
When releasing the connection between the anchoring stent and the inner shaft in step S100, the outer sheath and the inner shaft are first moved relative to each other to expose the anchoring stent from the outer sheath, thereby allowing the anchoring stent to enter the expanded state in a self-expanding manner.
In some embodiments, when the prosthetic heart valve assembly is deployed via balloon expansion, the transcatheter implant system for delivering the prosthetic heart valve assembly includes only one inner shaft. This corresponds to the scenario in which the transcatheter implant system described above consists only of the first delivery system, which includes a first balloon body for delivering and expanding the prosthetic heart valve, and a second balloon body for delivering and expanding the anchoring stent-meaning that a single delivery system is used for both the prosthetic heart valve and the anchoring stent.
Preferably, the interventional delivery system further includes:
When releasing the connection between the anchoring stent and the inner shaft in step S100, an additional step of moving the locking wire is included before or after inflating the balloon body corresponding to the anchoring stent to release the axial limitation on the anchoring stent while maintaining the axial limitation on the prosthetic heart valve.
When releasing the connection between the prosthetic heart valve and the inner shaft in step S300, an additional step of further moving the locking wire along the original movement direction before or after inflating the balloon body corresponding to the prosthetic heart valve to release the axial limitation on the prosthetic heart valve.
In some embodiments, when the prosthetic heart valve is a prosthetic pulmonary valve, during ex vivo simulation or interventional surgery, the interventional path of the interventional delivery system needs to make 2 turns near the tricuspid valve. It can be understood that the inner shaft should be at least S-shaped to reach the deployment position.
Referring to
Before the prosthetic heart valve assembly is detached from the inner shaft, under the action of the deflection assembly, the inner shaft has a smooth bent section, or has at least two smooth bent sections, and the two bent sections have opposite curvatures. As shown in
The technical features of the previous embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and not all possible combinations of the technical features of the previous embodiments have been described for the sake of brevity of description. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical characteristics, such combination should be regarded as falling into the scope of this specification. When the technical features in different embodiments are shown in the same drawing, it can be considered that the drawing also discloses a combined embodiment of various embodiments involved.
The above-described embodiments only illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure, and the description thereof is specific and detail, but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent disclosure. It should be noted that, for those of ordinary skill in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present disclosure, all of which fall into the protection scope of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202210828216.1 | Jul 2022 | CN | national |
| 202210828221.2 | Jul 2022 | CN | national |
| 63429560 | Dec 2022 | US | national |
| 202310226501.0 | Mar 2023 | CN | national |
| 202310229828.3 | Mar 2023 | CN | national |
| 202310391496.9 | Apr 2023 | CN | national |
| 202310722355.0 | Jun 2023 | CN | national |
The present application is a Continuation Application of PCT Application No. PCT/CN2023/106397, filed on Jul. 7, 2023, which claims the priorities of Chinese Patent Application No. 202210828221.2, filed on Jul. 13, 2022, Chinese Patent Application No. 202210828216.1, filed on Jul. 13, 2022, U.S. Patent Application No. 63/429,560, filed on Dec. 2, 2022, Chinese Patent Application No. 202310226501.0, filed on Mar. 3, 2023, Chinese Patent Application No. 202310229828.3, filed on Mar. 6, 2023, Chinese Patent Application No. 202310391496.9, filed on Apr. 7, 2023, and Chinese Patent Application No. 202310722355.0, filed on Jun. 16, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/CN2023/106397 | Jul 2023 | WO |
| Child | 19019302 | US |
