Endoluminal Prostheses With Interwoven Helical Wires
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current stent-graft prostheses face challenges in balancing strength and flexibility, with single helical wire designs being prone to collapse under compression and lacking redundant support structures, which can lead to failure if damaged.
Innovation Solution
A stent-graft prosthesis design featuring multiple helical wires with windings interwoven along a common longitudinal axis, providing additional strength and flexibility while maintaining independent segments to prevent complete failure in case of local compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single helical wire is used to form the stent-graft prosthesis, then the flexibility is improved, but the strength under compression deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The stent-graft prosthesis is divided into multiple independent helical wire segments (first helical wire, second helical wire, etc.) instead of using a single continuous wire. Each wire can independently bear compressive loads and resist collapse, providing redundant support structures that maintain flexibility while significantly improving compression strength.
2Device complexity
If a single helical wire is used to form the stent-graft prosthesis, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthesis structure is segmented into multiple independent helical wires that are interwoven but not directly connected. This segmentation creates redundant load paths where if one wire fails or collapses, the other wires continue to provide structural support, significantly improving reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates redundant helical wires as a failsafe mechanism before failure can occur. The interwoven configuration of multiple wires provides a backup support system that prevents complete prosthesis collapse, cushioning against the harmful effect of wire damage or malfunction.
3Strength
If multiple helical wires are added to increase strength, then the strength and redundancy are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple helical wires are arranged in different spatial dimensions and orientations, interwoven along the longitudinal axis of the prosthesis. This three-dimensional arrangement allows the wires to support each other mechanically while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that can be manufactured using conventional techniques.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A prosthesis includes a first wire bent into a first waveform and spirally wrapped into a first helix having a plurality of windings that form a hollow cylindrical shape and a second wire bent into a second waveform and spirally wrapped into a second helix having a plurality of windings that form a hollow cylindrical shape. The first and second wires are disposed relative to each other such that the plurality of windings of the first wire and the plurality of windings of the second wire are disposed about a common longitudinal axis and the plurality of windings of the first wire and the plurality of windings of the second wire are axially offset from each other, with windings of the plurality of windings of the first wire alternating or interwoven between windings of the plurality of windings of the second wire along a length of the prosthesis.