Aortic Arch Stent with Flared Proximal Ring for Secure Sealing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stents for implantation in the aortic arch, particularly in the descending aorta, face challenges in secure fixation and sealing due to insufficient proximal fixing and sealing surface area, leading to high mortality rates and the need for invasive vascular surgery, as well as the impossibility of minimally invasive emergency management.
Innovation Solution
A stent design featuring meandering circumferential supports with a connecting support between the last and penultimate rings at the proximal end, allowing for a jacket area substantially free of prosthesis material to ensure secure fixation and sealing, while maintaining blood supply to branching arteries, utilizing a V-shaped or Z-shaped profile with crimp sleeves for enhanced stability and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a stent is designed with a conventional configuration for the ascending aorta, then it is easy to implant in the ascending aorta, but it cannot be used for treating aneurysms in the descending aorta or aortic arch due to insufficient proximal fixing and sealing surface area
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is divided into distinct functional segments: a proximal sealing section with enhanced surface area for anchoring in the aortic arch, a middle section for aneurysm coverage, and a distal section for descending aorta treatment. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The stent features non-uniform structural properties distributed along its length: the proximal end has increased radial strength and sealing surface area with a flared configuration, while the distal end has reduced profile for easier navigation. This local differentiation enables the stent to provide targeted fixation in the aortic arch while maintaining adaptability to various anatomical regions
2Reliability
If the proximal end of the stent is extended further into the aortic arch to increase sealing surface area, then fixation and sealing are improved, but the stent may interfere with or cover the origin of the left subclavian artery
Solution Approach 1:
The stent incorporates a flared proximal section that concentrates the sealing surface area in a specific angular distribution, directing the enhanced fixation toward the aortic arch wall while leaving the subclavian artery origin region clear. This localized quality distribution achieves reliable sealing without compromising adjacent vessel patency
Solution Approach 2:
The proximal stent structure exhibits asymmetric geometry with extended radial coverage on the side facing the aortic arch for optimal sealing, while maintaining reduced profile on the side facing the subclavian artery origin. This asymmetric design maximizes fixation reliability while minimizing interference with critical branching vessels
3Reliability
If vascular surgery is performed to create a surgical connection between the left subclavian artery and the common carotid artery before stent implantation, then sufficient sealing surface area is available, but the procedure becomes highly invasive with high mortality rate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for complex surgical pre-procedures by integrating the sealing function directly into the stent structure itself. The stent's own design features (flared proximal section with enhanced surface area) provide the necessary anchoring and sealing capabilities without requiring external surgical modifications to the patient's vasculature
Solution Approach 2:
The stent is designed to be self-sufficient in providing its own fixation and sealing mechanisms through its intrinsic structural features. The flared proximal configuration and enhanced surface area are built into the stent itself, allowing it to achieve reliable anchoring in the aortic arch without requiring the patient to undergo additional surgical procedures to create sealing conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A stent for implantation in a blood vessel is disclosed, especially in the region of the aortic arch. The stent is comprising rings which are disposed successively in the stent's longitudinal direction and which are made up of meandering circumferential supports. The stent further comprises a prosthesis material which is fixed to the rings and which connects them, thereby forming a hollow cylindrical body with a jacket which is substantially closed on the circumference thereof. At least one connecting support is provided between the last ring and the penultimate ring at the proximal end of the stent and connects these two rings to one another.