Braided Medical Stents With Selective Coating for Radial Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for alternative medical stents and methods for manufacturing and using them, as existing stents have limitations and disadvantages.
Innovation Solution
The development of an implantable stent comprising a braided tubular member formed from braided wires, where radially outward wire segments are coated and radially inward wire segments are uncoated, allowing for radial expansion and contraction while maintaining structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the stent is made with a braided structure allowing radial expansion and contraction, then the adaptability to different anatomical conditions is improved, but the structural integrity and coating stability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different properties to different parts of the wire structure by selectively coating only the radially outward-facing segments while leaving radially inward segments uncoated. This local differentiation allows the coated portions to maintain stability during expansion while the uncoated portions provide flexibility and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The braided wire structure is segmented into distinct radially outward and radially inward segments, with coating applied only to specific segments. This segmentation allows independent optimization of different regions - coated segments provide stability where needed, while uncoated segments maintain flexibility and structural integrity during radial expansion and contraction.
2Reliability
If selective coating is applied only to radially outward wire segments, then the coating durability during expansion is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The selective coating is applied in advance during the manufacturing process, before the stent is deployed. By pre-coating the radially outward segments during fabrication, the complex selective coating task is performed when the structure is static and accessible, rather than attempting to selectively coat deployed stent segments in vivo.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical selective coating mechanisms with a chemical or physical deposition process that naturally targets radially outward-facing surfaces. The coating process exploits the geometric orientation of the braided structure itself, using surface exposure rather than mechanical positioning to achieve selective coverage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the braided structure allows wire segment pivoting during expansion, then the adaptability to anatomical geometry is improved, but the structural stability may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies coating to radially outward segments that pivot during expansion, creating a stable interface between the coating and the wire structure. The coating on these pivoting segments maintains structural stability while allowing the necessary geometric adaptation to different anatomical configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent combines coated and uncoated wire segments in a braided composite structure. The coated radially outward segments provide stability and structural integrity during pivoting, while the uncoated radially inward segments maintain flexibility and enable the adaptation to different anatomical geometries.
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable stent may include a braided tubular member formed of braided wires and including radially outward wire segments crossing over and positioned radially outward of radially inward wire segments at a plurality of crossover points. Also, the radially outward wire segments may be coated with a coating and the radially inward wire segments may be uncoated and devoid of the coating.