Biodegradable Vena Cava Filter with Anchoring Struts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current filtering devices in the vena cava lack effective and reliable mechanisms to capture thrombi, posing a risk of pulmonary embolism due to incomplete thrombus capture and potential device migration.
Innovation Solution
A biodegradable filter device with a radially expandable stent portion and a conical filter portion, where at least some struts are designed to degrade over time, allowing the filter to embed in the vessel wall and ensure complete thrombus capture, while a non-biodegradable strut or rubber material remains attached to maintain the filter's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filtering device is placed in the vena cava to capture thrombi, then thrombus capture capability is improved, but device migration risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter device transitions from a deliverable compressed state to an expanded anchored state. The expandable filter portion transforms from a compact delivery configuration to an expanded filtering configuration that engages with the vessel wall, providing dynamic adaptation that ensures both effective thrombus capture and stable device positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The device undergoes parameter changes during deployment - the filter portion expands radially to increase surface area for thrombus capture, while the anchoring struts change from a compressed to an expanded configuration to engage with the vessel wall. These parameter changes enable the device to achieve both high thrombus capture capability and stable positioning.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the filter portion is made biodegradable to reduce long-term complications, then device safety is improved, but structural integrity during early deployment may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs local quality differentiation where the filter portion is made biodegradable to reduce long-term complications, while the anchoring struts are made non-biodegradable to maintain structural integrity. This localized material differentiation allows each component to have optimal properties for its specific function - the biodegradable filter reduces long-term harm while the non-biodegradable struts ensure early structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The device uses composite material construction combining biodegradable materials for the filter portion and non-biodegradable materials for the anchoring struts. This composite approach allows the device to simultaneously achieve biodegradability where needed (filter portion) and permanent structural integrity where required (anchoring struts), resolving the contradiction between safety and strength.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If all struts are made biodegradable to allow complete device degradation, then tissue compatibility is improved, but device retention after degradation may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The device applies local quality by making only the filter portion biodegradable while keeping the anchoring struts non-biodegradable. This ensures that the filter portion degrades to improve tissue compatibility, while the anchoring struts remain intact to maintain device retention and stability after filter degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The biodegradable filter portion is designed to be discarded by the body over time through natural degradation processes, while the non-biodegradable anchoring struts are recovered and retained permanently to maintain device stability. This selective discarding and recovering approach allows complete filter degradation for tissue compatibility while preserving anchoring function.
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 biodegradable filter effectively captures thrombi and remains securely embedded in the vessel wall, reducing the risk of embolism and device migration, with the remaining strut or rubber material ensuring long-term retention and tissue ingrowth for stability.
Implementation Method 1
at least a portion of the plurality of struts are biodegradable and degrade after a first predetermined time to release from the holding ring
Implementation Method 2
the stent portion and filter portion are balloon expandable
Implementation Method 3
the plurality of struts are biased radially outward
Data Source
AI summary
A filter device is provided having a biodegradable features. The filter device comprises an elongate stent portion and a conical filter portion attached thereto that is preferably balloon expandable. The conical filter portion includes a plurality of struts extending between a holding ring and the stent portion to define the conical shape of the filter portion. The struts can be biodegradable so that they degrade over time. The struts and/or holding ring can be configured so that at least one of the struts remains attached to the holding ring after a predetermined period of time. The struts are biased toward the wall of the body vessel in which the filter device is installed, so that after the predetermined period of time, the struts, and the strut attached to the holding ring, will expand toward the body vessel wall for bioabsorption.