Bioabsorbable Stent with Open Channels for Fluid Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current stents often migrate and clog, requiring additional procedures for extraction and/or replacement, and there is a need for improved stents that are easy to make and safe to use.
Innovation Solution
A bioabsorbable stent with an elongated body featuring at least one open channel on its exterior surface for fluid communication between the proximal and distal ends, made from various materials such as polymer, metal alloys, or combinations thereof.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional stents are used, then structural support is provided, but migration and clogging occur requiring additional procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The stent surface is segmented into multiple functional zones including open channels, porous regions, and smooth sections. This segmentation allows different areas to perform specialized functions (fluid transport, tissue integration, structural support) simultaneously, improving reliability without requiring multiple separate devices
Solution Approach 2:
The stent incorporates porous materials in specific regions to enable tissue ingrowth and anchoring, preventing migration. The porous structure also facilitates fluid permeability and reduces thrombogenicity, addressing multiple reliability issues through material structure rather than complex mechanical designs
2Stability of the object's composition
If stents are designed to prevent migration, then stability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stent employs local quality by providing anchoring features only in specific regions where migration prevention is needed, rather than making the entire stent structure complex. The open channels and porous regions are strategically positioned to provide stability without requiring complicated mechanical anchoring mechanisms throughout the entire device
3Ease of operation
If open channels are added to exterior surface, then fluid communication improves, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The open channels are merged with the stent manufacturing process itself, formed simultaneously with the stent body through techniques like injection molding or extrusion. This integration means the channels are created as a natural part of the stent fabrication rather than requiring separate post-processing steps, improving fluid communication capability without proportionally increasing manufacturing difficulty
Data Source
AI summary
A bioabsorable stent is disclosed. The stent is made of a polymer and/or non-polymer material and has an elongated body having a proximate end, a distal end, and at least one open channel formed on the exterior surface of the elongated body to provide fluid communication between the proximal end and the distal end. Also disclosed is a bioabsorable stent having an elongated center rod having a proximate end and a distal end and a plurality of leaflets extending outward from the center rod and forming channels between two neighboring leaflets to provide fluid communication between the proximal end and the distal end.