Endoprosthesis Flexible Hinge Anti-Migration Connectors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Endoprostheses face challenges in preventing migration while allowing for tissue ingrowth for easy removal and maintaining luminal patency around bends in the body lumen, as existing solutions either cause trauma during removal or fail to maintain patency.
Innovation Solution
An endoprosthesis with a covered stent design featuring anti-migration connectors and a flexible hinge portion that allows tissue ingrowth through select areas and maintains patency around bends by using a polymeric cover that prevents ingrowth on strut rows but not on connectors, enabling secure placement and easy removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bare or partially covered endoprosthesis is used to allow tissue ingrowth for preventing migration, then anti-migration capability is improved, but trauma to the body lumen increases during removal
Solution Approach 1:
The endoprosthesis applies local quality by having different coverage characteristics in different regions: the first and second portions have full coverage to prevent migration, while the third portion has selective openings to allow controlled tissue ingrowth. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing anti-migration capability where needed while minimizing trauma in removal zones.
2Ease of operation
If a fully covered endoprosthesis is used to facilitate removal by preventing tissue ingrowth, then ease of removal is improved, but anti-migration capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device implements local quality by creating a spatial differentiation of coverage: fully covered sections (first and second portions) provide migration prevention, while the third portion features selective openings that allow controlled tissue interaction. This resolves the contradiction by providing both ease of removal in specific zones and anti-migration capability in others.
3Strength
If a stiff endoprosthesis is used to maintain luminal patency, then structural support is improved, but adaptability to bends in the body lumen deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The endoprosthesis applies segmentation by dividing the structure into multiple portions (first, second, and third portions) with different structural characteristics. The first and second portions provide structural support for luminal patency, while the third portion with selective openings provides flexibility for bending. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between strength and adaptability.
4Strength
If multiple endoprostheses are used to cover bends in the body lumen, then luminal patency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple functions into a single integrated endoprosthesis structure. The device combines luminal patency maintenance (through the first and second portions) with bend adaptability (through the third portion with selective openings) in one unified structure, eliminating the need for multiple separate endoprostheses and reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An endoprosthesis may include an expandable tubular framework (12) expandable from a compressed state to an expanded state and include a plurality of strut rows (20), wherein adjacent strut rows define interstices spacing the adjacent strut rows apart, and a plurality of connectors (22) extending across the interstices and interconnecting adjacent strut rows, at least some of the plurality of connectors defining a flexible hinge portion. The lengths of the interstices between adjacent strut rows may vary along the length of the expandable tubular framework. The plurality of connectors extend radially outward beyond an outer diameter of the plurality of strut rows in the expanded state. The plurality of connectors are configured to engage a wall of a body lumen in the expanded state to inhibit migration of the endoprosthesis subsequent implanting the endoprosthesis in the body lumen.