External Vascular Access Conduit for Reduced Bleeding and Infection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vascular access systems that reside within the blood vessel lumen are prone to bleeding, clotting, infection, and require frequent punctures, making them difficult to access and prone to failure.

Innovation Solution

A vascular access system with an access conduit having one end outside the body and a stent-encapsulated end inside the body, allowing external access to the blood vessel lumen, and a vessel entry device for controlled puncture, reducing the risk of bleeding and infection by maintaining the conduit outside the vessel.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the vascular access device resides inside the blood vessel lumen, then continuous blood flow through the device is achieved, but the risk of bleeding, clotting, and infection increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblood flow continuityVSAvoidbleeding, clotting, and infection risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The access conduit is extracted from the blood vessel lumen and repositioned to reside outside the vessel, attached to its external surface. This extraction eliminates the conduit's direct contact with blood flow, thereby removing the source of bleeding, clotting, and infection risks while preserving vascular access functionality through external positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The blood vessel wall serves as an intermediary barrier between the access conduit and the blood lumen. The conduit attaches to the external surface of the vessel, using the vessel wall itself as a natural seal and barrier, thereby providing access without direct luminal contact and eliminating the need for additional sealing mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the vascular access device resides outside the blood vessel, then the risk of bleeding and infection is reduced, but the device becomes difficult to access from outside the body

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebleeding and infection riskVSAvoidaccessibility from outside the body

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The access conduit is repositioned from a luminal (internal) dimension to an external subcutaneous dimension, creating a new access pathway through the vessel wall. This dimensional change allows the conduit to be easily accessed from outside the body while maintaining safety by preventing direct blood contact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The vascular access system is segmented into distinct functional zones: the access conduit resides externally for easy access, the puncture site provides controlled entry to the lumen, and the vessel wall acts as a barrier. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its function independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If repeated percutaneous punctures are performed to access the blood vessel, then vascular procedures can be performed, but the device fails due to poor flow or repeated punctures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocedure access capabilityVSAvoiddevice durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A puncture site is created in advance through the vessel wall into the lumen, allowing guidewires and other devices to be introduced without repeated punctures. This preliminary access pathway preserves device integrity and eliminates failure caused by repeated puncture trauma.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system provides safe, repeated access to the blood vessel lumen with reduced risks of bleeding and infection, facilitating easy access and minimizing vessel trauma.

Implementation Method 1

The stent prevents collapsing of the indwelling portion of the access conduit

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical support:

Implementation Method 2

allowing the opening from the conduit into the blood vessel to close and heal over, thereby re-establishing a tissue barrier between the conduit and the lumen of the blood vessel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTissue healing:

Data Source

PatentUS20250242143A1Vascular access system

Publication Date: 2025.07.31 VERIVAS SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

A vascular access system for repeatedly accessing a blood vessel includes a sheathed access conduit that remains outside of the confines of the vascular system. The tubular access conduit includes a first end adapted to be arranged outside the body for easy access and a second end adapted to be connected to an outer surface of the blood vessel. A stent is encapsulated inside the subcutaneously portion of the access conduit to avoid contracture. A vessel entry device is adapted to extend inside the access conduit to puncture and to gain access to the blood vessel lumen when needed, otherwise the conduit remains excluded from the vascular system. Guidewires, catheter, monitors or treatment devices can be inserted, advanced, positioned, used and removed as desired via the access conduit. Because the conduit remains external to the blood vessel the risks of septicemia and vessel thrombosis and occlusion are reduced.