Shape Optimization of a Self-deployable Anchor Designed for Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair

A new percutaneous annuloplasty technique for mitral regurgitation is proposed here. In this technique, inter-related anchors are first inserted around the annulus via a trans-septal catheter. The tethered wire passed through the anchors is then pulled to shrink the annulus and stop regurgitation. The anchors should withstand large deformation, applied during the delivery process, and should recover their original shape after being released inside the tissue. The shape of the anchors is, thus, optimized in an iterative process, to avoid stress concentration by minimizing the weighted rms value of the curvature along the anchor. The weight coefficients in each iteration are defined based on the stress distribution of the anchor obtained in the previous iteration. The procedure finally results in a structurally optimum anchor with a minimum in the maximum von Mises stress. This anchor is fabricated from Nitinol and tested in a cadaveric swine heart.