Flexible Covered Stent Side Branch Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vascular medical devices, such as covered stents and stent grafts, face challenges in precise alignment with side branch vessels during implantation, leading to misalignment, kinking, reduced blood flow, and increased risk of vessel damage, which prolongs operation times and exposes patients and operators to excessive radiation.
Innovation Solution
A novel covered stent system with flexible, expandable side branches that can be individually positioned and connected, using a guiding element and navigation tools to facilitate precise alignment and deployment, reducing the complexity and duration of the implantation procedure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If modular covered stents with open circular apertures are used for alignment with branch vessels, then liquid communication between main vessel and branch vessels can be achieved, but the risk of vessel wall damage increases during navigation and positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by covering the apertures with a flexible membrane that can deform during navigation. The membrane remains intact during catheter manipulation, preventing vessel wall damage, and can be selectively opened or configured after positioning to establish liquid communication with branch vessels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies this principle by providing a protective covering over the apertures before the positioning and navigation phase. This pre-protection prevents accidental contact between the hard aperture edges and the delicate vessel wall during manipulation, cushioning against potential damage before it can occur.
2Strength
If covered stents are deployed and expanded in the main vessel, then structural support is provided, but re-positioning becomes impossible leading to misalignment with branch vessels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by making the stent expandable rather than permanently rigid during deployment. The stent can be expanded to provide structural support, and if misalignment occurs, it can be collapsed and re-positioned before final expansion, allowing correction of alignment issues while maintaining the ability to provide structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies this principle by performing preliminary positioning and alignment checks before final expansion of the stent. The stent is delivered in a collapsed state, positioned and aligned with branch vessels under imaging guidance, and only then expanded to provide structural support, ensuring correct alignment before commitment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional modular covered stent systems are used with multiple apertures, then branch vessel access is enabled, but operation time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by providing a stent with multiple independently controllable apertures or side branches. Each aperture can be selectively opened or connected to corresponding branch vessels, allowing the operator to access only the required branch vessels rather than having to configure and align all apertures, thereby reducing operation time while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies this principle by allowing selective activation of only the necessary apertures or side branches needed for the specific patient's anatomy and treatment requirements. Rather than requiring all apertures to be configured and aligned perfectly, only the relevant ones are activated, reducing the time and complexity of the procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
The present application discloses a covered stent and a method for navigating the covered stent to a branch vessel, the covered stent comprising a main body and at least one lateral side branch connected to the main body, wherein the lateral side branch is flexible and expandable. A system of covered stents and a method for interconnecting the covered stents is also disclosed.