Grooved Mandrel and Rotating Collar for Automated Stent Forming
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for forming stents are labor and time intensive, requiring manual winding of wires into complex shapes, which is inefficient and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A stent formation device comprising a mandrel with grooves and a rotating collar that guides a wire to conform to a pattern, reducing manual labor and increasing efficiency in forming stents and stent-grafts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual winding of wire is used to form stents, then flexibility and customization are improved, but labor intensity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical winding process with an automated mechanical system consisting of a mandrel with patterned grooves and a wire feeding mechanism. The grooves guide the wire to automatically form complex stent patterns without manual intervention, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining the ability to produce customized stent designs through different groove patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a mandrel with pre-defined groove patterns that serve as templates or copies of the desired stent geometry. The wire is formed by following these groove patterns, allowing consistent replication of complex stent designs. Different groove patterns on the mandrel enable production of various customized stent types while using the same automated forming mechanism.
2Productivity
If automated wire feeding mechanism is implemented, then productivity increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated wire feeding mechanism is divided into separate functional components: a mandrel with grooves for pattern definition, a wire feeding mechanism for material supply, and a forming section where the wire is shaped. This segmentation allows each component to be independently designed and optimized, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mandrel with grooves acts as an intermediary element between the wire feeding mechanism and the final stent product. The grooves on the mandrel surface serve as a template that guides the wire formation process, simplifying the control system by using a passive geometric constraint rather than active real-time control mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes a system and method for forming a stent or stent-graft for use in the vasculature of a human patient. The system comprises a mandrel and a collar configured to slide and rotate in relation to the mandrel. The mandrel includes at least one groove that corresponds to the desired shape of a stent or stent-graft. The stent or stent-graft is formed by sliding and rotating the collar along the surface of the mandrel, which forces a wire to conform to the shape of the groove.