Absorbable Vascular Filter Biodegradation Profile
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vascular filters, both permanent and temporary, fail to effectively prevent pulmonary embolism without increasing the risk of recurrent deep vein thrombosis and are associated with complications such as filter occlusion, migration, and adverse events due to their long-term presence in the body.
Innovation Solution
An absorbable vascular filter made from non-metallic synthetic polymers that biodegrades sequentially, preventing the need for removal and reducing the risk of recurrent deep vein thrombosis by engineered degradation profiles, thereby minimizing the paradoxical increase in DVT seen with long-term IVC filters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional vascular filters are used for long-term prevention of pulmonary embolism, then the protective function is maintained, but the risk of recurrent deep vein thrombosis increases and complications such as filter occlusion and migration occur
Solution Approach 1:
The filter material's degradation parameter is changed over time, transitioning from a stable, permanent structure to a biodegradable one that gradually breaks down. This allows the filter to provide reliable protection initially while automatically reducing its presence in the body over time, thereby preventing recurrent DVT and complications associated with long-term filter presence
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a biodegradable filter that serves its protective function temporarily and then naturally decomposes in the body. This disposable approach eliminates the need for permanent implantation, allowing the filter to be discarded after completing its protective mission, thus avoiding the harmful effects of long-term presence while maintaining reliable protection during the critical period
2Duration of action of stationary object
If permanent vascular filters are implanted to prevent pulmonary embolism, then continuous protection is provided, but filter removal is required to prevent recurrent DVT and complications
Solution Approach 1:
The biodegradable filter performs self-service by automatically degrading and eliminating itself from the body after completing its protective function. This self-removal mechanism eliminates the need for surgical retrieval operations, making the system easier to operate while providing sufficient duration of protection during the degradation period
Solution Approach 2:
The filter transitions from a static, permanent structure to a dynamic, time-dependent structure that changes its properties over time. The material progressively degrades from intact to fragmented to fully absorbed, allowing the filter to provide continuous protection initially while automatically adapting to reduce its presence, thereby eliminating the need for manual removal operations
3Strength
If non-absorbable filter materials are used, then structural integrity is maintained over time, but the filter requires surgical removal and increases complication risks
Solution Approach 1:
The material strength parameter changes over time through controlled biodegradation. The filter maintains high structural integrity initially to ensure proper function, then gradually reduces strength as it degrades, ultimately becoming fully absorbed. This time-dependent strength variation allows the filter to provide necessary mechanical support when needed while eliminating long-term presence complications
Solution Approach 2:
The filter uses composite material structures combining biodegradable polymers with potentially reinforced phases that provide initial strength. The composite structure allows the filter to maintain structural integrity during the critical protection period while the biodegradable components enable eventual degradation and elimination, reducing complications from long-term presence
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The absorbable vascular filter effectively prevents pulmonary embolism by capturing emboli and biodegrading within a planned schedule, reducing the risk of complications associated with long-term filter presence and ensuring the filter's absence from the body once its protective function is no longer needed.
Implementation Method 1
The filter is constructed from absorbable materials such as polyglactin, polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid, or copolymers of lactic and glycolic acids that biodegrade over time
Implementation Method 2
The filter elements are manufactured from non-metallic synthetic polymers which do not adversely impact end organs upon carefully planned degradation
Data Source
AI summary
An absorbable vascular filter is disclosed for deployment within a vessel for temporary filtering of body fluids. A preferred embodiment is the placement of such absorbable vascular filter within the inferior vena cava (IVC) to filter emboli for the prevention of pulmonary embolism for a limited duration in time. Once protection from PE is complete, the filter is biodegraded according to a planned schedule determined by the absorption properties of the filter components. Hence the temporary absorbable vascular filter obviates the long term complications of permanent IVC filters such as increased deep vein thrombosis, neighboring organ puncture from filter fracture and embolization while also circumventing the removal requirement of metal retrievable IVC filters.