Covered Vascular Plug With Self-Expanding Embolic Occlusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intravascular devices struggle to effectively occlude vascular structures and restrict blood flow to treat conditions like arterial-venous malformations and aneurysms, often requiring multiple deployment steps and inadequate flow restriction.
Innovation Solution
Intravascular embolization devices with a woven lattice of nitinol wires and a polymeric sleeve or disk that self-expand within a blood vessel, providing enhanced flow restriction by incorporating a free-floating embolic structure that transitions between constrained and expanded states, allowing simultaneous deployment of enclosures and embolic members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing intravascular devices are used to occlude vascular structures, then some blood flow restriction is achieved, but multiple deployment steps are required and flow restriction is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the embolic structure and embolic member into a single integrated device that deploys simultaneously. The embolic member is positioned within the embolic structure during deployment, allowing both components to be deployed in one step rather than requiring separate deployment procedures. This merging resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliable flow restriction through the combined structure while reducing deployment complexity to a single step.
Solution Approach 2:
The embolic member is nested within the embolic structure during the deployment process. The delivery catheter contains both components in a nested configuration, allowing them to be advanced together to the target site and deployed simultaneously. This nesting approach enables complex functionality to be achieved through a simplified single-step deployment procedure.
2Reliability
If a woven lattice of nitinol wires and polymeric sleeve is used, then blood flow reduction is enhanced, but device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The device utilizes composite materials combining nitinol wires and polymeric sleeves to achieve enhanced blood flow reduction. The nitinol provides structural framework with superelastic properties, while the polymeric components provide flow restriction through their material characteristics. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by achieving superior flow reduction efficacy through material properties rather than increasing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the device have specialized local properties: the nitinol wires provide radial strength and expandability in certain regions, while the polymeric sleeves provide flow restriction in specific zones. This local differentiation of material properties allows the device to achieve enhanced flow reduction through targeted functional zones rather than uniform complexity throughout the structure.
3Productivity
If enclosures and embolic members are deployed simultaneously, then deployment time is reduced, but control over expansion becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates dynamic expansion characteristics where the embolic structure and embolic member expand in a coordinated manner during deployment. The nitinol wires provide superelastic recovery that drives expansion, while the polymeric components expand in response to the structural framework. This dynamic behavior allows simultaneous deployment with inherent control mechanisms built into the material properties and structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes self-expanding properties of the nitinol wires to drive the expansion of both the embolic structure and embolic member simultaneously. Once deployed, the superelastic nitinol automatically expands the structure to its final configuration without requiring additional control actions. This self-service mechanism resolves the contradiction by enabling fast simultaneous deployment while maintaining ease of operation through automatic expansion control.
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 devices achieve significant blood flow reduction, promoting thrombus formation and efficient occlusion with a single deployment step, reducing blood flow by up to 50% and enhancing treatment efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
a woven lattice of nitinol wires that self-expand within a blood vessel
Implementation Method 2
a polymeric sleeve or disk that self-expand within a blood vessel, providing enhanced flow restriction
Implementation Method 3
promoting thrombus formation and efficient occlusion
Data Source
AI summary
Devices used to restrict flow within a blood vessel are disclosed. Devices within the scope of this disclosure include a braided lattice of nitinol wires that form self-expanding enclosures of an embolic structure. The devices may further include embolic particles disposed within the enclosures. Methods of deploying the devices with the embolic particles are disclosed. Methods of manufacturing the devices with the embolic particles disposed within the enclosures are disclosed.