Endovascular Apparatus Hooks for Snare Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endovascular apparatuses, such as stents, filters, and plugs, are difficult to retrieve and reposition due to their thin and flexible designs, which compromise their robustness and can lead to flow disturbances and increased risk of stent thrombosis.
Innovation Solution
An endovascular apparatus with a body forming a lumen and a pair of hooks that can be bent or twisted to form a receiver for a snare, allowing for robust retrieval without compromising flow dynamics, featuring a double thickness hook structure connected by a bond and an elongated spine for enhanced retrievability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the endovascular apparatus is made thin and flexible to facilitate insertion, then the insertion capability is improved, but the retrievability and robustness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus is divided into distinct functional segments: a flexible body portion for insertion and a separate retriever portion with hooks for retrieval. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the body remains thin and flexible while the retriever provides robust engagement features
Solution Approach 2:
The hooks extend radially outward from the body in a dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, creating a receiver structure that provides mechanical engagement points for the snare without increasing the longitudinal profile of the apparatus
2Strength
If the strut thickness is increased to make the stent more robust, then the structural strength is improved, but the flow dynamics deteriorate due to increased foreign material in the lumen
Solution Approach 1:
The wall thickness is not uniformly increased throughout the apparatus. Instead, the hooks are formed with double wall thickness only at specific locations where retrieval engagement is needed, while the majority of the body maintains thin wall thickness to preserve flow dynamics
Solution Approach 2:
The hooks are formed as an integrated part of the body wall rather than being separate components. This merging eliminates additional foreign material from separate hook structures while providing the necessary retrieval functionality through localized double thickness
3Reliability
If a traditional retriever structure is added to enable retrieval, then the retrievability is improved, but the device complexity and potential for complications increase
Solution Approach 1:
The retriever functionality is merged with the body structure through the formation of hooks directly from the wall material. This integration eliminates the need for separate retriever components and reduces overall device complexity while maintaining retrieval capability
Solution Approach 2:
The body structure itself provides the retrieval features through the formed hooks, eliminating the need for external retrieval mechanisms. The apparatus is self-sufficient for both insertion and retrieval operations
Data Source
AI summary
An endovascular apparatus takes the form of an expandable tubular body having a retriever, which may include a pair of interconnected hooks. The retriever may be formed from a single piece of material forming the tubular body, and in the case of a pair of hooks thus has a thickness corresponding to approximately twice the wall thickness of the tubular body. The innermost radial portion of the hooks may be offset from a central axis of a lumen formed by the tubular body, which facilitates free insertion of a balloon or the like for purposes of expanding the tubular body. Related methods of manufacturing an endovascular apparatus with a retriever are also described herein.