Crush-Resistant Stent Coupling for Branched Vessel Junctions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoluminal devices struggle to effectively repair branched body lumens, particularly at the junctions between main and branch vessels, due to insufficient strength and resilience, leading to potential damage and further medical interventions from cyclic stress.
Innovation Solution
A branch vessel prosthesis with a stent configuration featuring a coupling portion that is more crush-resistant than the body portion, designed to withstand high luminal stresses, and a main vessel prosthesis with fenestrations for fluid communication, where the coupling portion engages the fenestration to provide enhanced support and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a standard stent configuration is used in branch vessels, then the prosthesis can be delivered and deployed, but the stent lacks sufficient strength to withstand high luminal stresses at the ostial region, leading to potential damage and reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The stent configuration transitions from a uniform structure to a non-uniform structure with varying strut thicknesses. Specifically, the first portion of the stent (at the ostial region) has thicker struts providing enhanced crush resistance, while the second portion has thinner struts. This local variation in structural properties allows the stent to have different mechanical characteristics in different regions, optimizing strength where needed while maintaining overall device functionality.
2Strength
If the stent is made uniformly thick to increase strength, then crush resistance improves, but the ability to conform to tortuous luminal environments and track through the vessel decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is designed with spatially varying strut thicknesses where the first portion (ostial region) has thicker struts for strength, while the second portion has thinner struts for flexibility. This allows different regions of the stent to have optimized properties for their specific functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent is divided into distinct segments or portions with different structural characteristics. The first portion (with thicker struts) and second portion (with thinner struts) function as separate structural units that can deform independently, allowing the overall stent to navigate tortuous pathways while maintaining strength at critical locations.
3Reliability
If a main body stent graft is used alone, then the main lumen can be repaired, but the junction between main body lumen and branch lumen cannot be adequately repaired, leaving the aneurysm excluded incompletely
Solution Approach 1:
The branch vessel prosthesis is nested within or through the main body prosthesis system. The branch prosthesis extends through a fenestration in the main body prosthesis, creating a nested configuration where the two prostheses work together as an integrated system to repair both the main lumen and the branch vessel junction, achieving complete aneurysm exclusion.
Data Source
AI summary
An endoluminal prosthesis system for a branched body lumen comprises a branch vessel prosthesis. The branch vessel prosthesis is deployable within a branch vessel body lumen and comprises a stent having a generally tubular body portion, a flareable proximal end portion, and a coupling portion disposed intermediate the body portion and the flareable portion. The coupling portion is more crush-resistant than the body portion. The flareable proximal end may be disposed within a fenestrated stent graft with coupling portion disposed in the fenestration of the fenestrated stent graft.