Braided Vascular Plug Structure for High-Flow Vessel Occlusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vascular occlusion devices fail to effectively occlude larger vasculatures with higher blood pressures or increased blood flows, and there is a challenge in balancing rapid occlusion with ease of deliverability.
Innovation Solution
A vascular plug with a braided mesh portion that expands to a three-dimensional shape, supported by a flexible membrane and a support frame with hinges and coils, designed to withstand high pressures and flows, and includes a flexible membrane to encourage thrombosis for occlusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a vascular occlusion device is designed for larger vasculatures with higher blood pressures, then the device can effectively occlude larger vessels, but the device becomes more susceptible to failure under high pressure and flow conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into multiple segments including a proximal support arm with proximal hinge, a distal support arm with distal hinge, and a membrane portion. These segmented components work together to distribute mechanical stresses across multiple articulation points, allowing the device to maintain structural integrity in larger, high-pressure vasculatures while remaining adaptable to various vessel sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arms incorporate hinges that allow dynamic articulation and movement. The proximal hinge in the proximal support arm and the distal hinge in the distal support arm enable the device to flex and adapt to pressure differentials and flow conditions, maintaining reliability across a range of hemodynamic environments in larger vessels.
2Strength
If a rigid support structure is used to withstand high pressures, then the device maintains structural integrity, but the device becomes difficult to deliver through catheters
Solution Approach 1:
The support arms are designed with hinges that allow the structure to transition from a compressed delivery configuration to an expanded functional configuration. During delivery, the device maintains a compact profile suitable for catheter passage, and upon deployment, the hinges articulate to provide the necessary structural strength to withstand high pressures in larger vasculatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is designed to be nested within a delivery catheter in a compressed state. The proximal and distal support arms with their hinges allow the device to collapse into a compact form for delivery, then expand to a larger functional configuration once deployed, providing both deliverability and structural integrity.
3Productivity
If a flexible membrane is used to encourage thrombosis, then rapid occlusion is achieved, but the membrane may fail to maintain position under high blood flows
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates a flexible membrane portion that encourages thrombosis for rapid occlusion. This membrane is supported by articulated proximal and distal support arms with hinges, which provide the necessary structural framework to maintain the membrane's position and prevent displacement under high blood flow conditions in larger vessels.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane is supported by segmented support structures including a proximal support arm and a distal support arm, each with articulation points. This segmentation allows the support structure to adapt to hemodynamic forces while maintaining the membrane's position, ensuring both rapid occlusion through thrombosis and reliability under high flow conditions.
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 vascular plug effectively occludes larger vasculatures by conforming to the vessel shape, providing rapid occlusion and maintaining structural integrity under high pressures and flows, while being deliverable through catheters.
Implementation Method 1
a braided mesh portion that expands from a generally linear configuration to a three-dimensional shape
Implementation Method 2
a flexible membrane to encourage thrombosis for occlusion
Implementation Method 3
the support frame may include a proximal coil and/or a distal coil which may function as a spring
Implementation Method 4
the hinges function as joints, dampeners, shock absorbers, springs, articulating regions
Implementation Method 5
the vascular plug may include an elastic member within the mesh portion to assist in expansion of the vascular plug within a patient
Data Source
AI summary
A vascular occlusion device for occluding blood flow in vasculatures having higher blood pressure or increased rates of blood flow. The vascular occlusive device may include a support frame for withstanding the higher blood pressure or increased flow rates. The support frame may include a central portion, a distal support arm extending in a distal direction from the ring portion, and a proximal support arm extending in a proximal direction from the ring portion. In one embodiment, the distal support arm may include one or more distal hinges and the proximal support arm may include one or more proximal hinges. In another embodiment, the distal and proximal support arms may each include a helical coil.