Caped Stent with Free-Floating Cover for Tortuous Vessels

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current medical devices for treating aneurysms and fistulas face challenges such as persistent blood flow in aneurysm sacs, procedural complications like thromboembolism, and lack of effective covered neuro-stents for tortuous anatomy, which limits their flexibility and effectiveness in diverting blood flow and preventing rupture.

Innovation Solution

A stent with a free-floating cover featuring a single circumferential attachment point and overlapping geometric shingles, allowing for flexibility and deployment in tortuous vessels without kinking, and optionally using pharmacologic means or balloon guide catheters for safe delivery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If covered stents are used to treat aneurysms and fistulas, then blood flow diversion and rupture prevention are improved, but flexibility in tortuous anatomy deteriorates due to kinking

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaneurysm treatment effectivenessVSAvoidflexibility in tortuous anatomy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The covered stent is divided into multiple articulated segments that can flex relative to each other, allowing the stent to conform to tortuous vessel anatomy without kinking while maintaining structural integrity and blood flow diversion capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The stent transitions from a rigid static structure to a dynamic articulated structure that can adapt its shape in response to vessel curvature, enabling deployment in tortuous anatomy while maintaining reliability for aneurysm treatment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If flow diverters are placed to divert blood flow away from aneurysms, then rupture prevention is improved, but complete flow blockage deteriorates leaving patients at risk during lag period

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverupture preventionVSAvoidimmediate cure effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The stent extracts the problematic lag period by providing immediate complete flow blockage through its covered design, removing the waiting period required for thrombus formation that characterizes flow diverter devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The device skips the lag period entirely by providing immediate flow diversion and thrombus formation, rushing through the dangerous period where rupture risk persists to achieve immediate cure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

3Device complexity

If stent-assisted coiling is performed to treat aneurysms, then procedural complexity is reduced, but thrombosis risk deteriorates requiring prolonged anti-platelet agents

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocedural simplicityVSAvoidthrombosis risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The device converts the potential harm of thrombosis into a beneficial immediate flow blockage mechanism, where controlled thrombus formation within the covered stent provides immediate cure rather than requiring prolonged anti-platelet management

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS11642213B2Caped stent

Publication Date: 2023.05.09 WALZMAN DANIEL EZRA

AI summary

A stent body having a frame having a plurality of openings. A first cover overlies and is attached to the frame to cover a first portion of the frame and has a free floating end unattached to the frame. A second cover overlies and is attached to the frame to cover a second portion of the frame, the second cover having a free floating end unattached to the frame. The first cover overlaps a first region of the second cover.