Fenestrated Endoluminal Stent Anchoring via Tissue Prolapse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoluminal prostheses face challenges when deployed near branching vessels, as they can obstruct branch vessels and fail to maintain alignment with fenestrations, leading to inadequate fluid communication and potential vessel obstruction.
Innovation Solution
A tubular graft with fenestrations and a flexible stent design that includes tissue prolapse to anchor the prosthesis, ensuring alignment with branch vessels and maintaining fluid communication, while being deployable via a minimally invasive procedure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a standard endoluminal prosthesis is deployed in the main lumen, then the main lumen is strengthened, but branch vessels may be obstructed and fluid communication is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthesis is segmented into multiple functional zones: a main lumen section for strengthening the primary vessel, and a fenestrated section with openings to maintain communication with branch vessels. This segmentation allows the single device to simultaneously address both the main lumen reinforcement and branch vessel patency requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthesis incorporates local quality variations through fenestrations (openings) at specific locations along the tubular body. These localized fenestrated regions provide fluid communication pathways to branch vessels while the remaining portions of the prosthesis maintain structural strength in the main lumen, creating different functional properties in different locations of the same device.
2Reliability
If a fenestrated prosthesis is used to maintain branch vessel communication, then fluid communication is improved, but alignment with branch vessels is difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The fenestrated section is pre-formed with openings at predetermined locations and orientations during manufacturing. This preliminary configuration of the fenestrations allows for optimized alignment with branch vessels before implantation, reducing the complexity of achieving proper positioning during the surgical procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthesis incorporates flexible materials and dynamic structural elements that allow the fenestrated section to adapt and reposition itself after implantation. This dynamic capability enables the fenestrations to self-align with branch vessels in response to physiological movements and pressure changes, maintaining communication without requiring perfect initial positioning precision.
3Strength
If tissue prolapse is encouraged to anchor the stent, then anchoring strength is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stent structure is designed to encourage tissue prolapse through its inherent geometric configuration, allowing the body's own tissue to perform the anchoring function. The stent's open spaces and flexible structure naturally promote tissue ingrowth and prolapse, which then secures the device in place without requiring additional anchoring mechanisms or complex structural features.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent incorporates flexible, thin-walled structures that can deform and adapt to the vessel wall geometry. These flexible elements encourage tissue prolapse by creating spaces that guide tissue growth, while maintaining structural integrity. The flexibility allows the stent to conform to irregular vessel shapes without requiring complex reinforcement features.
Data Source
AI summary
An intraluminal prosthesis is provided for strengthening a main lumen and a branch lumen in direct fluid communication with the main lumen. The prosthesis may comprise a tubular graft and a flexible stent. The tubular graft may include a flexible body having a wall with a fenestration. The flexible stent may include a body with at least one open space to encourage tissue prolapse. The flexible stent may be configured for intraluminal coupling to the fenestration of the tubular graft, so that the entire prosthesis may be assembled and anchored into a main lumen and a branch lumen with a minimally invasive procedure. The open space may encourage tissue prolapse, which may act to anchor the flexible stent to the branch lumen.