Spiral-Reinforced Bile Duct Stent for X-Ray Distal End Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stents placed in bile ducts are challenging to accurately position the distal end due to the lack of a visible marker under X-ray fluoroscopy, which hinders precise placement.
Innovation Solution
A medical stent with a spiral-wound reinforcing material having regions with varying winding pitches and locking members, combined with a stent delivery device featuring a guide catheter and pusher catheter, allows for easy visualization of the distal end under X-ray fluoroscopy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a stent is placed in a bile duct without a wire at the distal end, then the stent structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but the surgeon cannot accurately check the position of the distal end under X-ray fluoroscopy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the principle of using materials with different X-ray transparency to create visual contrast. The reinforcing material is made of an X-ray opaque material while the tubular member is made of an X-ray transparent material, creating a visible marker effect that allows surgeons to accurately detect the distal end position under X-ray fluoroscopy without adding complex wire structures.
2Ease of manufacture
If the reinforcing material is wound with uniform pitch throughout the stent, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the stent cannot provide optimized structural properties in different regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements different winding pitches of the reinforcing material in different regions of the stent. The first region has a first winding pitch, the second region has a second winding pitch different from the first, and the third region has a third winding pitch different from both. This allows each region to be optimized for specific structural requirements while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical stent whose distal end position can be easily checked under X-ray fluoroscopy, and a stent delivery device are provided. The medical stent includes a main body including a tubular member and a reinforcing material that is wound in a spiral shape and embedded between an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface of the tubular member, a first locking member that includes a first fixed end fixed to a distal end side of the main body and a first free end located on an outer side from the tubular member, and extends from the first fixed end to the first free end, and a second locking member that includes a second fixed end fixed to a proximal end side of the main body and a second free end located on the outer side from the tubular member, and extends from the second fixed end to the second free end, wherein the main body includes a first region, a second region, and a third region that have different winding pitches of the reinforcing material different from one another, the first region is a region located between the distal end of the main body and the first fixed end, the second region is a region in which the reinforcing material is wound with a greater winding pitch than the first region, and the third region is a region in which the reinforcing material is wound with a greater winding pitch than the second region.