Intraluminal Device With Varying Thickness Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stents often fail to conform to the curved shape of body vessels, leading to incomplete contact with the vessel wall, which can result in inadequate support and increased blood flow turbulence, particularly in areas with complex geometries like the aortic arch.
Innovation Solution
The intraluminal device features a structural member with varying thickness regions between its abluminal and luminal surfaces, allowing for axial flexibility and improved conformation to vessel curvatures, which is achieved by alternating thinner and thicker regions that smoothly transition to each other, enabling better contact with the vessel wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If conventional stents with uniform thickness are used, then manufacturing is simple, but the stent cannot conform to curved vessel walls
Solution Approach 1:
The stent structure incorporates regions of varying thickness (thinner and thicker regions alternating along the structure) to provide different flexibility characteristics at different locations, enabling the stent to conform to curved vessel walls while maintaining structural integrity in other areas
Solution Approach 2:
The stent is divided into multiple segments with different thickness characteristics (thinner regions and thicker regions) that can independently respond to vessel geometry, allowing the overall structure to adapt to complex curvatures like the aortic arch
2Adaptability or versatility
If stents are made with varying thickness regions, then flexibility and conformation improve, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is designed with localized variations in thickness (thinner and thicker regions) that provide enhanced adaptability to different vessel geometries while maintaining relatively simple overall manufacturing processes through techniques like variable section extrusion or selective material deposition
3Reliability
If stents have uniform structure, then manufacturing is easy, but contact with vessel wall is incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The stent incorporates thinner regions that can better conform to and contact the vessel wall, ensuring complete support and reducing turbulence, while thicker regions provide structural reinforcement, creating a balanced design that improves reliability without excessive complexity
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 design enhances the stent's ability to conform to curved vessel walls, providing complete support and reducing turbulence, while minimizing the risk of blood leakage between the graft layer and the vessel wall, thereby improving the effectiveness of stent-graft treatments.
Implementation Method 1
The intraluminal device features a structural member with varying thickness regions between its abluminal and luminal surfaces, allowing for axial flexibility and improved conformation to vessel curvatures
Data Source
AI summary
An intraluminal device is provided with a structural member having an abluminal surface to engage a vessel wall and a luminal surface. The structural member is formed with regions having different thicknesses between the abluminal surface and luminal surface. The intraluminal device may be useful where improved axial flexibility is desired.