Evert Cuff Aorta Treatment Device Anastomosis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aorta treatment devices face difficulties in aligning and suturing the proximal end of the distal aorta with a flange-shaped collar due to varying end surface shapes and sizes among patients, and struggle to achieve sufficient close contact of the stent graft with the inner wall of the distal aorta, often resulting in tension and incomplete contact.

Innovation Solution

An aorta treatment device featuring a branched artificial blood vessel with a cuff portion that can be everted to facilitate coaxial suturing with the distal aorta, along with a stent graft portion that can be expanded to fit snugly within the aorta, ensuring proper contact and alignment without residual tension.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a flange-shaped collar is used for anastomosis, then the device structure is simplified, but alignment difficulty increases due to varying distal aorta end surface shapes among patients

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice structureVSAvoidalignment difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cuff portion is everted (turned inside out) to create an inverted configuration that facilitates alignment with the distal aorta. This inversion allows the cuff to conform to the varying end surface shapes of different patients, resolving the alignment difficulty while maintaining a relatively simple device structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The cuff portion is designed to be flexible and adjustable in size, allowing it to adapt dynamically to different patient anatomies. The cuff can be cut to appropriate sizes and everted to match the specific end surface shape of each patient's distal aorta, improving ease of operation without significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If the stent graft is expanded to fit the distal aorta, then close contact with the inner wall is achieved, but tension remains after suturing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclose contact achievementVSAvoidresidual tension
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The cuff portion is everted to create an inverted configuration that reduces residual tension after suturing. This inversion allows the cuff to accommodate the expanded stent graft while maintaining close contact with the distal aorta inner wall, achieving both good contact and reduced tension simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If the cuff size is adjusted by cutting, then alignment with distal aorta is improved, but surgical time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment accuracyVSAvoidsurgical time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The cuff portion is designed to be flexible and adaptable in size, allowing surgeons to cut it to appropriate lengths for different patients. This dynamic adjustability improves alignment accuracy with the distal aorta while minimizing additional surgical time through straightforward cutting and eversion procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3763327B1Aorta treatment device
Publication Date: 2024.05.15 JAPAN LIFELINE CO LTD
  • EP3763327B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3763327B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3763327B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

An aorta treatment device includes a branched artificial blood vessel portion (10) including side tubes (11) to (14) that branch off from a main tube (15), a stent graft portion (20) coupled to a distal side of the branched artificial blood vessel portion (10) by being sutured; and a cuff portion (30) that is formed so as to extend from a distal end (16) of the branched artificial blood vessel portion (10) toward the distal side, that is evertable so as to enter a state in which the cuff portion (30) extends from the distal end (16) of the branched artificial blood vessel portion (10) toward a proximal side, and that has a skirt-like shape. With the aorta treatment device, it is possible to replace an aortic arch with the branched artificial blood vessel portion, place the stent graft portion in a distal aorta, and anastomose the branched artificial blood vessel portion and the distal aorta easily compared with an existing device.