Implantable Branched Lumen Device with Collapsible Columns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current implantable devices for bodily conduits, such as stent-grafts and prosthetic valves, face challenges in effectively supporting fluid flow and maintaining perfusion in branching vascular systems, particularly in areas like the abdominal aorta and renal arteries, where aneurysms can develop and require augmentation to prevent enlargement and rupture.
Innovation Solution
An implantable device with a tubular member having a primary lumen and secondary lumens, supported by a stent member with apertures and columns that can collapse under hydrostatic pressure, allowing for fluid communication and deployment via a delivery system that includes a constraining member and guide members to position and expand the device within the vasculature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a traditional stent-graft is used to support the primary bodily conduit, then the structural strength and stability are improved, but the ability to maintain fluid flow and perfusion in branching vessels deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The stent-graft is divided into multiple segments: a primary body portion for the main conduit and multiple branch portions for secondary vessels. Each segment can be independently positioned and expanded to maintain structural strength in the primary vessel while providing dedicated support for branching vessels, thus resolving the contradiction between overall structural strength and adaptability to branched anatomy.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a two-dimensional flat configuration during delivery to a three-dimensional expanded configuration at the implantation site. The stent-graft includes radial expansion capability that allows it to conform to the three-dimensional geometry of branched vessels, enabling simultaneous support of primary and secondary conduits in multiple spatial dimensions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the implantable device is designed with multiple lumens and columns to support branching vessels, then the adaptability and fluid flow capability are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The branch portions are nested within or attached to the primary body portion in a hierarchical arrangement. The stent-graft structure incorporates branch lumens that are integrated into the main body, with columns and struts that serve multiple functions both as structural support elements and as conduits for fluid flow, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining multi-lumen functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The columns and struts of the stent-graft serve dual purposes: providing structural support to maintain lumen patency and acting as conduits for fluid flow in branching vessels. The same structural elements that provide mechanical strength also define the flow pathways, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing device complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the device includes a constraining member and delivery system for precise placement, then the placement precision is improved, but the device complexity and procedure difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stent-graft is pre-assembled and pre-shaped in a compressed delivery configuration before implantation. The branch portions are pre-positioned and pre-oriented on the delivery catheter, allowing for precise placement at the target site without requiring complex intra-procedural manipulation or assembly steps, thereby reducing procedure difficulty while maintaining placement precision.
4Ease of operation
If the secondary lumen is made collapsible without stent support to allow for delivery, then the ease of delivery is improved, but the structural stability and fluid flow maintenance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary lumens are designed with dynamic structural properties that allow them to transition between collapsed and expanded states. During delivery, the lumens are compressed flat within the delivery catheter for easy access through narrow vasculature. Upon deployment, the lumens expand and are maintained in an open state by the stent-graft structure, providing structural stability while preserving the ability to navigate through the delivery system.
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 device effectively supports fluid flow and maintains perfusion in branching vessels, preventing aneurysm enlargement and rupture while allowing for precise placement and expansion within the vascular system, enhancing circulatory function and reducing the risk of complications.
Implementation Method 1
the column having a column opening; and each column being operable to collapse under hydrostatic pressure
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable device comprising including a tubular member and a stent member supporting the tubular member. The tubular member includes a first end and a second end, the tubular member forming a primary lumen having a first opening at the first end of the tubular member and a second opening at the second end of the tubular member. The tubular member includes a column positioned within the primary lumen and forming a secondary lumen, the tubular member defining a plurality of apertures opening into the secondary lumen at positions longitudinally between the first end and the second end of the tubular member, the column having a column opening.