Filling Structure and Scaffold for Iliac Artery Aneurysm Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for aortic aneurysms, particularly those in the abdominal and thoracic regions, face challenges due to difficult access and the need for invasive surgical procedures, which can be risky and have long recovery times, and there is a need for effective solutions to address aneurysms in the iliac arteries that often accompany abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising filling structures and scaffolds deployable in the common, external, and internal iliac arteries, with a bifurcated design and fenestrations allowing for extension into the internal iliac artery, using expandable stents and inflatable balloons to provide a seal and ensure blood flow, and the use of a polymer-filled endobag to create a durable lumen for blood flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If open surgical repair is used for aortic aneurysms, then successful treatment is achieved, but access difficulty and cardiac strain increase
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical procedure is segmented into two distinct approaches: open surgical repair for the aortic portion and endoluminal graft for the iliac artery portion. This allows each segment to be treated with the most appropriate method, reducing overall procedural complexity and improving accessibility while maintaining treatment effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The endoluminal graft is nested within the aortic aneurysm sac, creating a contained structure that preserves blood flow through the iliac artery while excluding the aneurysmal portion. This nested configuration allows minimally invasive access while achieving effective aneurysm repair.
2Reliability
If open surgical repair is used for aortic aneurysms, then successful treatment is achieved, but recovery time increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the procedure to use endoluminal graft for the iliac artery portion, the recovery time associated with open surgery is significantly reduced while maintaining treatment success for the aneurysm repair.
3Loss of time
If endoluminal grafts are used for aortic aneurysms, then recovery time is reduced, but ability to address iliac artery aneurysms is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the aortic endoluminal graft with an extension into the internal iliac artery, creating a hybrid structure that addresses both aortic and iliac artery aneurysms in a single procedure. This combination maintains the minimally invasive benefits while expanding adaptability to complex cases.
Solution Approach 2:
The graft system is designed with multi-functionality to handle both aortic aneurysms and concomitant iliac artery aneurysms, making it a universal solution that replaces the need for separate procedures and enhances overall adaptability.
4Device complexity
If a single scaffold is used in the filling structure, then device complexity is reduced, but ability to maintain blood flow in multiple arteries is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The scaffold is segmented with distinct functional zones: a main body for aortic support and an extension portion for iliac artery blood flow. This segmentation allows the single scaffold to perform multiple functions while maintaining relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The scaffold extends from the aortic dimension into the iliac artery dimension, adding spatial complexity that enables blood flow preservation in multiple arteries while still being deployed as a single integrated structure.
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
This approach allows for minimally invasive treatment of aortic and iliac aneurysms with reduced recovery time, effective sealing of aneurysms, and preservation of blood flow through the iliac arteries, providing a durable solution for aortic aneurysm repair.
Implementation Method 1
the filling structure is inflatable with a filling medium to provide a seal around the scaffold and around the second scaffold when the second scaffold is located within the fenestration in the side of the scaffold
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a filling structure deployable at least partially in a common iliac artery and an external iliac artery, and a scaffold positioned within a first lumen of the filling structure. The scaffold has a fenestration in a side of the scaffold that is positionable toward an internal iliac artery. The filling structure has a second lumen extending from the first lumen and positionable toward the internal iliac artery. A method includes deploying a filling structure at least partially in a common iliac artery and an external iliac artery and positioning a scaffold within a lumen of the filling structure such that a fenestration in a side of the scaffold is positioned toward an internal iliac artery.