Design:

• Nitinol cage with super-elastic properties allows our plug to expand and fill the leak when released from the diagnostic catheter used for initial deployment.
• Polymer embedded in the cage swells when exposed to fluid, the patient's blood, to further expand the plug and block the leak.
• Screw detachment system enables easy removal of the deployment mechanism from the plug after the plug is properly expanded.
• Platinum radio-opaque markers located at the ends of the plug allow for easy visualization of the plug placement through X-ray angiography to ensure proper deployment.

Design Criteria:

• Our design must be able to fit various sizes and severity levels of paravalvular leak:
• We need to size our plug between 3-7mm, since that is he most common range of a PVL leak spot.
• Our plug must be 100% biocompatible and the polymer must not fragment into small pieces over time, since there is a risk of stroke.
• In order to be competetive with other plugs on the market, our manufacturing cost must be between $300-$500.
• Since surgeons ideally want a one-and-done procedure, our plug needs to 100% expand to fill the leak spot, and the polymer must swell within 10 minutes to allow for the best outcome and effciency of the procedure.