Hourglass Stent-Graft Lateral Apertures Misalignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endovascular stent-grafts face challenges in accommodating varying anatomical positions of branching arteries, often requiring customization to ensure proper alignment and blood flow, which can be difficult due to axial and circumferential misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A tubular hourglass-shaped stent-graft with lateral apertures that allows for axial and circumferential misalignment, coupled with branching stent-grafts that form a blood-tight seal with the main stent-graft, enabling flexible deployment and minimizing interference with blood flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a standard cylindrical stent-graft is used, then manufacturing is simple, but it cannot accommodate varying anatomical positions of branching arteries
Solution Approach 1:
The stent-graft incorporates an hourglass shape with a narrow waist portion that allows dynamic adaptation to different anatomical configurations. The lateral apertures positioned at the waist enable the device to accommodate varying axial and circumferential positions of branching arteries without requiring customization for each patient.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent-graft is divided into distinct portions: a narrow waist portion containing lateral apertures for branch vessel access, and wider proximal and distal portions for main vessel support. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each region's function while maintaining overall adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If lateral apertures are added to accommodate branching arteries, then adaptability improves, but blood flow interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral apertures are specifically positioned at the narrow waist portion of the hourglass shape, where the reduced circumference minimizes interference with overall blood flow. The apertures are strategically located to provide access to branching arteries while maintaining optimal flow dynamics in the main vessel.
3Manufacturing precision
If customization is performed for each patient, then alignment precision improves, but manufacturing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hourglass-shaped stent-graft with laterally positioned apertures at the waist creates a universal design that can accommodate a wide range of anatomical variations without customization. The geometric configuration provides inherent adaptability to different patient anatomies, eliminating the need for patient-specific manufacturing while maintaining adequate alignment.
Data Source
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AI summary
An endovascular stent-graft (10) includes a generally tubular hourglass-shaped body (22), which is configured to assume a radially-compressed delivery configuration and a radially-expanded deployment configuration. The hourglass -shaped body (22) includes a flexible stent member (26), which includes a plurality of structural stent elements (28); and a tubular fluid flow guide (24), which includes a fabric (29), and is attached to the structural stent elements (28). The hourglass- shaped body (22) is shaped so as to define a narrow waist portion (32) longitudinally surrounded by and adjacent to wider first and second longitudinal portions (30, 34). The fabric (29) along the waist portion (32) is shaped so as to define at least first and second lateral apertures (36, 38). Other embodiments are also described.