Tracheal stent assembly and artificial trachea with same

Abstract

The invention provides a tracheal stent assembly and an artificial trachea provided with the tracheal stent assembly. The tracheal stent assembly comprises a main body, the main body comprises a plurality of supporting units arranged at intervals, adjusting units arranged on the supporting units, and connecting units arranged among the supporting units; each supporting unit is of a C-shaped structure, and the opening distance of the supporting units can be adjusted through the adjusting units. According to the tracheal stent assembly, the distance between the openings of the supporting units is adjusted to correspond to tracheal forms of different patients, and the applicability of the tracheal stent assembly is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of tracheal stents, and in particular to a tracheal stent assembly. The present invention also relates to an artificial trachea provided with the tracheal stent assembly. Background Art

[0002] Tracheotomy is a surgery to remove part of the diseased trachea (such as tumors, severe stenosis and traumatic damage, etc.) in order to protect and reconstruct the trachea. Currently, after tracheotomy, in order to replace the part of the trachea removed by the patient, an artificial trachea is used as a substitute. The artificial trachea generally includes a tracheal stent assembly and a membrane structure covering the tracheal stent assembly. The tracheal stent assembly is biomimetic on human cartilage to provide support for the artificial trachea, and the membrane structure covers the tracheal stent assembly to prevent airflow leakage into the trachea.

[0003] Currently in the field of artificial trachea, universal artificial trachea cannot achieve a good matching effect with the patient's trachea and has poor applicability to different patients. In order to better match the patient's residual trachea, the artificial trachea needs to be customized according to the patient's tracheal structure. However, the cost of customized artificial trachea is high and some patients may not be able to afford it. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a tracheal stent assembly to improve the applicability of artificial trachea to different patients.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is achieved as follows:

[0006] A tracheal stent assembly includes a main body;

[0007] The main body comprises a plurality of support units arranged at intervals, an adjustment unit arranged on the support units, and a connection unit arranged between the support units;

[0008] Each of the support units is in a C-shaped structure, and the opening spacing of the support units can be adjusted by the adjustment unit.

[0009] Furthermore, the support unit includes a first support member and a second support member which are rotatably connected at their ends; a connecting member is provided at the end of the first support member, and a connecting groove is provided at the end of the second support member, and the connecting member is inserted into the connecting groove.

[0010] Furthermore, the connection unit includes a connection shaft passing through the intersection of each of the first support members and each of the second support members; and the first support member and the second support member can rotate around the connection shaft.

[0011] Furthermore, the connection unit includes a first connection rod and a second connection rod; the free ends of the first support members are connected via the first connection rod, and the free ends of the second support members are connected via the second connection rod.

[0012] Furthermore, the adjusting units are only provided on the supporting units located at the two ends of the main body.

[0013] Furthermore, a mesh structure is provided between adjacent support units to facilitate installation of the membrane structure, and / or a plate structure with holes is provided between adjacent support units, and the holes are any one of cylindrical, truncated cone or funnel-shaped.

[0014] Furthermore, the adjustment unit includes a shell provided at a rotatable position of the support unit, and a limiting mechanism provided on the support unit; the limiting mechanism is used to fix the position of the support unit after adjustment.

[0015] Furthermore, the limiting mechanism includes a rotating member provided on the supporting unit and a limiting member provided on the shell, so as to limit the rotation direction of the rotating member.

[0016] Furthermore, the limiting mechanism includes an elastic member arranged between two movable ends of the supporting unit, and a fixing member arranged on two movable ends of the supporting unit.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0018] The tracheal support assembly described in the present invention can adjust the opening spacing of the support unit through the adjustment unit arranged on the support unit, so that the size of the tracheal support assembly can still be adjusted after leaving the factory, thereby improving the applicability of the tracheal support assembly. Each connecting unit can connect each supporting unit to improve the structural strength of the tracheal support assembly.

[0019] In addition, the form of the first support member and the second support member being separately arranged with a rotatable connection facilitates the adjustment of the spacing between the openings of the support units, and the plug-in structure facilitates the installation and positioning of the first support member and the second support member, and the structure is simple, which is convenient for design implementation. The connecting shaft not only ensures the connection of each support unit but also serves as the rotating shaft of the first support member and the second support member, and the structure is simple, which is convenient for design implementation.

[0020] In addition, the ends of each support unit are connected by the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod so that each support unit can move together during adjustment, which is conducive to design implementation. Reducing the number of adjustment units reduces the difficulty of installation, improves the efficiency of adjustment operation, and is conducive to design implementation. The setting of a mesh structure or a plate structure with holes is conducive to the installation of the membrane structure, reduces the difficulty of combining the membrane structure with the tracheal support assembly, and is conducive to design implementation.

[0021] Furthermore, the rotating part of the support unit can be protected by the shell to prevent human tissue from growing into the rotating part of the support unit, and the position of the support unit after adjustment can be fixed by the limit mechanism, which has a simple structure and is convenient for design and implementation. By using the rotating part to cooperate with the limit part, the rotation direction of the rotating part is limited by the limit part, so that the tracheal support assembly can be rotated in one direction during adjustment, preventing the adjusted tracheal support assembly from returning to its original state. By cooperating with the elastic part and the fixing part, the elastic part provided on the support unit is compressed, and fixed by the fixing part after reaching the appropriate position, so that the support unit can adjust the opening spacing as needed, which has a simple structure and is convenient for design and implementation.

[0022] Another object of the present invention is to provide an artificial trachea, wherein the artificial trachea is provided with the tracheal support assembly as described above.

[0023] The artificial trachea of ​​the present invention has the same beneficial effects as the tracheal stent assembly described above relative to the prior art, which will not be described in detail here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings constituting a part of the present invention are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a tracheal support assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 An exploded view of the support unit and the adjustment unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a first structural schematic diagram of a connecting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 A second structural schematic diagram of the connection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the mesh structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of a housing according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 A first structural schematic diagram of the adjustment unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 A second structural schematic diagram of the adjustment unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 A magnified image of point A;

[0034] Fig.10 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the hole structure described in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Description of reference numerals:

[0036] 1. Subject;

[0037] 2. Support unit; 201. First support member; 202. Second support member; 203. Connecting member; 204. Connecting groove;

[0038] 3. Adjustment unit; 301. Housing; 302. Rotating member; 303. Limiting member; 304. Elastic member; 305. Fixed member;

[0039] 4. Connecting unit; 401. Connecting shaft; 402. First connecting rod; 403. Second connecting rod;

[0040] 5. Net structure; 6. Plate structure; 7. Card slot; 8. Card block;

[0041] w. Opening spacing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0043] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that if there are terms indicating orientation or positional relationship such as "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", etc., they are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, if there are terms such as "first", "second", etc., they are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0044] In addition, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, the terms "installed", "connected", "connection" and "connector" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood in combination with specific circumstances.

[0045] In addition, the membrane structure mentioned in the embodiments of the present invention refers to a polymer biofilm, a flap or other membrane used for making an artificial trachea that covers the tracheal stent component.

[0046] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with embodiments.

[0047] Embodiment 1

[0048] The present embodiment relates to a tracheal stent assembly, which can improve the applicability of an artificial trachea.

[0049] In terms of overall structure, combined Figure 1 As shown, the tracheal support assembly of this embodiment includes a main body 1.

[0050] The main body 1 includes a plurality of support units 2 arranged at intervals, an adjustment unit 3 arranged on the support units 2 , and a connection unit 4 arranged between the support units 2 .

[0051] Each support unit 2 has a C-shaped structure. The opening spacing w of the support unit 2 can be adjusted by the adjustment unit 3 . The connection unit 4 is used to connect the support units 2 .

[0052] At this time, as set above, the opening spacing w of the support unit 2 can be adjusted by the adjustment unit 3 arranged on the support unit 2, so that the size of the tracheal support assembly can still be adjusted after leaving the factory, thereby improving the applicability of the tracheal support assembly, and each connecting unit 4 can connect each support unit 2 to enhance the structural strength of the tracheal support assembly.

[0053] Based on the above overall introduction, an exemplary structure of the tracheal support assembly of this embodiment can be referred to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, at this time, preferably, the support unit 2 of this embodiment includes a first support member 201 and a second support member 202 which are rotatably connected at the ends.

[0054] Among them, a connecting piece 203 is provided at the end of the first support member 201, and a connecting groove 204 is provided at the end of the second support member 202. The connecting piece 203 is plugged into the connecting groove 204. The first support member 201 and the second support member 202 are separately arranged in a rotating connection, which facilitates the adjustment of the opening spacing w of the support unit 2, and the plug-in structure is conducive to the installation and positioning of the first support member 201 and the second support member 202. The structure is simple and convenient for design implementation.

[0055] It is worth mentioning that, as a preferred arrangement, the edges of the first support member 201 and the second support member 202 are both chamfered, and the arrangement of the connecting member 203 is arc-shaped, and the connecting groove 204 follows the shape of the connecting member 203. The use of chamfered corners and the arc-shaped arrangement can reduce the possibility of the support unit 2 damaging the membrane structure during the manufacture of the artificial trachea, and is also beneficial to the comfort of the artificial trachea after implantation in the human body, which is conducive to design implementation.

[0056] In addition, as a configuration mode of the connection unit 4 of this embodiment, in combination with Figure 3 As shown, the connection unit 4 includes a connection shaft 401 passing through the intersection of each first support member 201 and each second support member 202, and the first support member 201 and the second support member 202 can rotate around the connection shaft 401. The connection shaft 401 not only ensures the connection of each support unit 2 but also serves as the rotating shaft of the first support member 201 and the second support member 202. The structure is simple and easy to design and implement.

[0057] In addition, as a second configuration mode of the connection unit 4 of this embodiment, Figure 4 As shown, the connecting unit 4 in this embodiment includes a first connecting rod 402 and a second connecting rod 403, and the free ends of the first support members 201 are connected via the first connecting rod 402, and the free ends of the second support members 202 are connected via the second connecting rod 403. The ends of the support units 2 are connected via the first connecting rod 402 and the second connecting rod 403 so that the support units 2 can move together during adjustment, which is convenient for design implementation.

[0058] Preferably, in the second configuration of the connection unit 4 of this embodiment, Figure 4 As shown, the adjustment units 3 are only provided on the support units 2 at both ends of the main body 1, which reduces the number of the adjustment units 3, reduces the difficulty of installation, improves the efficiency of the adjustment operation, and facilitates the design implementation.

[0059] It can be understood that the support units 2 at both ends of the main body 1 are provided with adjustment units 3, and each support unit 2 is connected by a first connecting rod 402 and a second connecting rod 403. At this time, by adjusting the adjustment units 3 at both ends of the main body 1, the remaining support units 2 not provided with adjustment units 3 will follow the support units 2 provided with adjustment units 3.

[0060] In addition, as a preferred embodiment, Figure 1 and Figure 5As shown, a mesh structure 5 for facilitating the installation of the membrane structure is provided between adjacent support units 2, or a plate structure 6 with holes is provided between adjacent support units 2. The provision of the mesh structure 5 or the plate structure 6 with holes is conducive to the installation of the membrane structure, reduces the difficulty of combining the membrane structure with the tracheal support assembly, and is conducive to design implementation.

[0061] In this embodiment, the support unit 2, the mesh structure 5 and the plate structure 6 can all be made of any one of biodegradable polymer polydioxanone (PDO) materials or polymer absorbable polylactic acid materials (for example, polylactic acid-glycolic acid copolymer, PLGA), as a stent for tissue engineering trachea, which has good degradability and mechanical properties and can improve the patient's postoperative comfort.

[0062] Alternatively, the support unit 2, mesh structure 5 and plate structure 6 may also be made of metal materials, such as pure titanium, titanium alloy, stainless steel or cobalt-based alloy, which have good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance and can improve the patient's postoperative comfort.

[0063] Accordingly, in order to ensure the support strength, when using biodegradable polymer materials, the size of the support unit in this embodiment is slightly larger than that when using metal materials, so as to ensure that the biodegradable polymer materials still have a good support effect during the degradation process.

[0064] It is worth mentioning that when the membrane structure is a skin flap, the mesh structure 5 can facilitate the suturing and fixing of the skin flap on the main body 1, and the plate-like structure 6 with holes can be used to plant cells in the holes to fix the membrane structure covering the main body 1.

[0065] When the tissue engineering trachea is manufactured, the mesh shape of the mesh structure 5 is a square mesh with a side length of 1 mm to 2 mm, and the corresponding mesh area is 1 mm 2 Up to 4mm 2 , which can better facilitate the fixation and growth of the flap.

[0066] In order to facilitate cell planting during the fabrication of tissue engineering trachea, microporous structures are provided on the first support member 201, the second support member 202 and the plate-like structure 6 in this embodiment to facilitate cell planting. Fig.10 As shown, the hole structure in this embodiment can be a circular through hole with a constant hole diameter, such as Fig.10 As shown in type a in the figure, it can also be a tapered hole with one end larger than the other and a linear transition, such as Fig.10 As shown in type b in the figure, it can also be a funnel-shaped hole with a thin middle and thick ends, such as Fig.10As shown in the c type in the figure. The a type hole is easy to process and form, while the b type and c type are conducive to improving the strength of the membrane structure and the firm attachment of the planted cells. When the hole type is b type or c type, the minimum pore size is about 400-600μm, the maximum pore size is about 1000-1500μm, and the porosity is about 60-80%, which is conducive to the firm attachment of tissue cells.

[0067] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, combined with Figures 1 to 3 and Figure 7 As shown, the adjustment unit 3 in this embodiment includes a shell 301 arranged at the rotatable position of the support unit 2, and a limiting mechanism arranged on the support unit 2. The limiting mechanism is used to fix the position of the adjusted support unit 2. The rotating position of the support unit 2 can be protected by the shell 301 to prevent human tissue from growing into the rotating position of the support unit 2. The adjusted position of the support unit 2 can be fixed by the limiting mechanism. The structure is simple, which is conducive to design and implementation.

[0068] Specifically, as an arrangement of the limiting mechanism in this embodiment, combined with Figure 2 As shown, the limiting mechanism in this embodiment includes a rotating member 302 arranged on the supporting unit 2, and a limiting member 303 arranged on the shell 301, so as to limit the rotation direction of the rotating member 302. The rotating member 302 cooperates with the limiting member 303, and the rotation direction of the rotating member 302 is limited by the limiting member 303, so that the tracheal support assembly can be rotated in one direction during adjustment, thereby preventing the adjusted tracheal support assembly from returning to its original state.

[0069] It is worth mentioning that, as a preferred arrangement, the rotating member 302 in this embodiment is a ratchet fixed on the support unit 2, and the limiting member 303 is a ratchet provided in the shell 301. The ratchet is engaged with the ratchet so that the ratchet can only rotate in one direction. During specific adjustments, it is necessary to first adjust the support unit 2 to a preset position, and then fix the shell 301 on the support unit 2.

[0070] In addition, as the second arrangement of the limiting mechanism in this embodiment, combined with Figure 7 As shown, the limiting mechanism in this embodiment includes an elastic member 304 arranged between the two movable ends of the support unit 2, and a fixing member 305 arranged on the two movable ends of the support unit 2. The elastic member 304 cooperates with the fixing member 305 to compress the elastic member 304 arranged on the support unit 2, and is fixed by the fixing member 305 after reaching a suitable position, so that the support unit 2 can adjust the opening spacing w as needed. The structure is simple and convenient for design implementation.

[0071] It is worth mentioning that, as a preferred arrangement, the elastic member 304 in this embodiment is a spring sheet arranged on the support unit 2, and the fixing member 305 is a fixing ring. By selecting fixing rings of different sizes, the support unit 2 can be fixed after being compressed to achieve the adjustment of the opening spacing w of the support unit 2.

[0072] In addition, combined Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, the support unit 2 in this embodiment can also be set on the connecting shaft 401 by plugging and fixing. A plurality of slots 7 are provided on the support unit 2, and a block 8 is provided on the connecting shaft to cooperate with it. The opening spacing w of the support unit 2 is adjusted by adjusting the size of the opening spacing w of the support unit 2 and inserting the slots 7 on the adjusted support unit 2 into the matching block 8, so as to realize the adjustment of the opening spacing w of the support unit 2.

[0073] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the block 8 and the slot 7 are interference fit, so as to limit the axial position of the support unit 2. Of course, since a mesh structure 5 or a plate structure 6 is arranged between the support units 2, the axial direction of the support unit 2 located in the middle part can be limited by the mesh structure 5 or the plate structure 6, and only the block 8 and the slot 7 of the support unit 2 located at the two ends can be set to be interference fit.

[0074] When the present embodiment is in use, the support unit 2 can be adjusted by the adjustment unit 3 to correspond to the trachea size required by different patients, thereby facilitating the production of an artificial trachea and improving the applicability of the artificial trachea.

[0075] Embodiment 2

[0076] The present embodiment relates to an artificial trachea, in which the tracheal support assembly of the first embodiment is provided.

[0077] The artificial trachea of ​​this embodiment adopts the tracheal stent assembly in the first embodiment. When manufacturing the artificial trachea, the tracheal stent assembly can be adjusted to meet the needs of different patients, thereby improving the applicability of the artificial trachea.

[0078] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tracheal stent assembly, characterized in that: Includes subject (1); The main body (1) comprises a plurality of support units (2) arranged at intervals, an adjustment unit (3) arranged on the support units (2), and a connection unit (4) arranged between the support units (2); Each of the support units (2) has a C-shaped structure, and the opening spacing (w) of the support units (2) can be adjusted by the adjustment unit (3); The connecting unit (4) is used to connect the supporting units (2).

2. The tracheal support assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support unit (2) comprises a first support member (201) and a second support member (202) whose ends are rotatably connected; A connecting piece (203) is provided at the end of the first supporting piece (201), and a connecting groove (204) is provided at the end of the second supporting piece (202), and the connecting piece (203) is inserted into the connecting groove (204).

3. The tracheal stent assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting unit (4) comprises a connecting shaft (401) passing through the intersection of each of the first supporting members (201) and each of the second supporting members (202); Furthermore, the first support member (201) and the second support member (202) can rotate around the connecting shaft (401).

4. The tracheal stent assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting unit (4) comprises a first connecting rod (402) and a second connecting rod (403); The free ends of the first supporting members (201) are connected via the first connecting rod (402), and the free ends of the second supporting members (202) are connected via the second connecting rod (403).

5. The tracheal support assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The adjustment unit (3) is provided only on the support units (2) located at the two ends of the main body (1).

6. The tracheal support assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: A mesh structure (5) is provided between adjacent support units (2) to facilitate installation of the membrane structure, and / or, A plate-like structure (6) with holes is provided between adjacent support units (2), wherein the holes are any one of cylindrical, truncated cone or funnel-shaped.

7. The tracheal support assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The adjustment unit (3) comprises a housing (301) arranged at a rotatable position of the support unit (2), and a limiting mechanism arranged on the support unit (2); The limiting mechanism is used to fix the position of the support unit (2) after adjustment.

8. The tracheal support assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The limiting mechanism comprises a rotating member (302) provided on the supporting unit (2), and a limiting member (303) provided on the housing (301), so as to limit the rotation direction of the rotating member (302).

9. The tracheal support assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The limiting mechanism comprises an elastic member (304) arranged between two movable ends of the support unit (2), and a fixing member (305) arranged on the two movable ends of the support unit (2).

10. An artificial trachea, characterized in that: The artificial trachea is provided with a tracheal support assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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