Biliary Stent Deployment Assembly With Guidewire Lateral Release

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for deploying biliary stents often require manipulation of guidewires, which can lead to fracturing or other adverse effects on the subject, necessitating a reliable method and device that does not require guidewire manipulation.

Innovation Solution

A stent-deployment apparatus comprising a biliary stent and a stent-conveyance tube with a guidewire-retaining segment that allows the stent to be advanced along a guidewire and decoupled from it without longitudinal displacement, using a laterally-breachable portion that is breached by proximal withdrawal of the tube.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If guidewire manipulation is used to deploy biliary stents, then stent deployment is achieved, but guidewire fracturing and adverse physical impacts occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveguidewire integrityVSAvoidadverse physical impacts

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The guidewire-retaining segment is divided into distinct functional zones: an engagement zone with apertures for guidewire insertion, a retention zone with friction surfaces, and a release zone with a laterally-breachable portion. This segmentation allows the guidewire to be selectively engaged and released without manipulation, preventing fracturing while maintaining deployment capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The stent-conveyance tube's guidewire-retaining segment is designed to automatically engage the guidewire through friction and geometric constraints, and automatically release it through lateral breaching when proximal withdrawal force is applied. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual guidewire manipulation, ensuring guidewire integrity while achieving stent deployment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If guidewire manipulation is required for stent deployment, then deployment control is achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment controlVSAvoidguidewire manipulation requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guidewire-retaining segment integrates multiple functions into a single component: guidewire engagement through apertures, retention through friction surfaces, and release through the laterally-breachable portion. This merging of functions into one integrated segment simplifies the overall device architecture while maintaining precise deployment control through passive mechanical interactions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The laterally-breachable portion acts as an intermediary mechanism between the stent-conveyance tube and the guidewire. It provides a controlled interface that allows the tube to engage and disengage the guidewire without direct manipulation, simplifying the operational sequence while maintaining precise deployment control through the intermediate breaching action.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If the guidewire must be manipulated to release the stent, then release precision is achieved, but the risk of guidewire fracturing increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverelease precisionVSAvoidguidewire integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The laterally-breachable portion is pre-configured in the guidewire-retaining segment to enable automatic release upon proximal withdrawal. This preliminary action eliminates the need for subsequent guidewire manipulation, achieving precise release control at the moment of deployment while preventing guidewire fracturing by avoiding repeated manipulation cycles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical manipulation of the guidewire is replaced with a passive mechanical system where the stent-conveyance tube's guidewire-retaining segment automatically engages and releases the guidewire through friction and lateral breaching. This substitution maintains release precision through controlled mechanical interactions while eliminating the harmful effects of manual manipulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP3756628B1Assemblies for deploying biliary stents

Publication Date: 2025.07.02 ENDO GI MEDICAL LTD

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AI summary

A stent-deployment assembly for use with a guidewire comprises a biliary stent and an elongated stent-conveyance tube comprising a guidewire-retaining segment that includes respective distal and proximal apertures defining a guidewire-path therethrough, and a lengthways laterally-breachable portion. In a stent-advancement configuration, the guidewire passes through the respective apertures so as to interiorly traverse the guidewire-retaining segment, and the stent is arranged to surround a stent-conveyance tube segment that is proximally displaced from the guidewire-retaining segment, for advancement of the stent together with the stent-conveyance tube along the guidewire into a body lumen of a human subject. When the stent is disposed, in the stent-advancement configuration, at a target deployment location within the lumen, a proximal-direction withdrawal of the stent-conveyance tube is effective to cause the guidewire to breach the laterally-breachable portion of the guidewire-retaining segment so as to decouple the guidewire from the tube without longitudinal displacement of the guidewire.