Endoprosthesis Barbed Sutures for Aneurysm Anchoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoprostheses for treating aneurysms face challenges such as preventing endo-leaks, maintaining fluid dynamics, and providing a secure anchor in varied vascular conditions, including bifurcated, tortuous, and calcified vessels, while requiring minimally invasive delivery and avoiding open surgical intervention.
Innovation Solution
An improved endoprosthesis with a main body and tubular extensions featuring a fabric portion connected to stent hoops and unidirectional barbed sutures for secure anchoring and sealing, allowing for percutaneous delivery and deployment, and the ability to maintain fluid tight seals in complex vessel geometries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional surgical bypass with graft placement is used, then aneurysm repair is achieved, but mortality rate increases and recovery period extends
Solution Approach 1:
The endoprosthesis is divided into multiple functional segments: a main body portion for the aorta, tubular extensions for iliac arteries, fabric portions for sealing, and stent hoops for structural support. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while enabling minimally invasive delivery through catheter-based insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The endoprosthesis acts as an intermediary device that bridges the diseased aneurysmal segment without requiring open surgical graft placement. It provides a less invasive alternative that maintains blood flow while excluding the aneurysm, reducing surgical trauma and accelerating recovery.
2Stability of the object's composition
If endoprosthesis with barbed sutures is used, then anchoring stability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Barbs are applied locally at specific positions on the sutures rather than uniformly throughout. The barbs are strategically placed to engage with the vessel wall at critical anchoring points, providing enhanced stability only where needed while maintaining overall device simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The barbed sutures are pre-configured with barbs oriented in specific directions before implantation. This preliminary configuration ensures that the sutures automatically engage with the vessel wall in the correct orientation upon deployment, eliminating the need for complex intraoperative suture manipulation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If unidirectional barbed sutures are used, then migration prevention improves, but sealing effectiveness in bidirectional flow conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The suture system transitions from static to dynamic functionality through the use of barbs that can engage in the direction of blood flow. The barbs remain passive during normal conditions but actively engage when blood flow exerts force, preventing migration dynamically rather than relying on static fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The blood flow itself, which could potentially dislodge the device, is converted into a beneficial force that pushes the barbed sutures into the vessel wall, enhancing anchoring. The hydraulic force of blood flow becomes the mechanism that secures the device in place.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If percutaneous delivery is used, then surgical invasiveness decreases, but delivery system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The endoprosthesis is designed with a nested structure where the fabric portion is contained within the stent hoops, and the entire assembly can be compressed within a delivery catheter. This nested configuration allows the complex device to be delivered through a minimally invasive percutaneous approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The endoprosthesis transitions from a compressed, low-profile state during delivery to an expanded, functional state after implantation. This dynamic transformation allows the device to navigate through small access punctures and then deploy its full structural complexity at the target site.
Data Source
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AI summary
Described are various embodiments of an improved endoprosthesis that includes a generally cylindrical graft portion that extends along a longitudinal axis to define a flow passage and a plurality of stent hoops. The plurality of stent hoops are connected to the graft portion and disposed in a spaced apart relationship along the longitudinal axis. There is at least a first suture disposed along on the outer surface of the main body. The first suture connects at least two of the spaced apart stent hoops together. The first suture also includes unidirectional barbs (or multidirectional barbs) configured to reduce movement of the main body with respect to a direction of blood flow in an artery.