California Patent of the Month – September 2021

There are many conditions that can damage or impair the mitral valve – which is a small flap in the heart that prevents blood from flowing the wrong way. When damaged, the mitral valve may fail to block this blood flow and cause further issues. Depending on the damage caused to the mitral valve, there are a few treatment options including cinching the annuls, suturing valve leaflets, or invasive replacement of the entire valve. These invasive procedures are painful, have high morbidity and require extensive recovery time. Half Moon Medical has been developing a better treatment method that will ease the procedure and recovery.

Half Moon Medical have designed a prosthetic leaflet device which can mimic the closed position of the original tissue. The mitral valve has both a posterior and  an anterior leaflet, with the first appearing like a crescent moon and the latter being semi-circular. These two leaflets come together where they are inserted into the annulus. The prosthetic leaflet is designed to displace the anterior leaflet and provide a coaptation surface for the posterior leaflet. The prosthetic has an atrial fixation member made from mesh, and a baffle positioned downstream which can displace the native leaflet. The mesh atrial fixation has holes to allow through flow and is made of a biocompatible material to encourage long-term fixation as tissue growth seals its placement. The design allows for a smoother recovery as the device is designed to coapt with native leaflets and better produce long-term stability.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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