Intravascular Stent With Localized Link Patterns For Tortuous Anatomy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stents face challenges in maintaining radial rigidity while ensuring longitudinal flexibility for delivery through tortuous body lumens, experiencing high longitudinal compression under axial loads, and often blocking side branch vessels, which limits access for subsequent stent deployment.
Innovation Solution
The stents feature a unique link pattern of serpentine cylindrical rings with alternating peaks and valleys, providing enhanced longitudinal flexibility and strength, allowing for minimal longitudinal contraction during radial expansion and improved access to side branches through strategically positioned links and portal rings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If prior art stents use uniform structural patterns, then manufacturing is simplified, but longitudinal flexibility and radial strength cannot be simultaneously optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The stent employs varying link patterns in different longitudinal sections: a first link pattern in the distal portion and a second link pattern in the proximal portion. This local differentiation allows the distal end to achieve higher flexibility for tracking through tortuous anatomy while the proximal end maintains greater radial strength, resolving the contradiction between uniform manufacturing and optimized performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent is divided into multiple segments with different structural characteristics along its length. The alternating link patterns create distinct functional zones that can independently optimize for flexibility or strength, allowing the overall device to achieve both properties in different locations without requiring complete structural complexity throughout.
2Ease of operation
If stents are made highly longitudinally flexible, then delivery through tortuous lumens is facilitated, but longitudinal compression increases under axial load
Solution Approach 1:
The distal portion of the stent uses a link pattern optimized for flexibility to facilitate delivery through tortuous body lumens, while the proximal portion uses a different link pattern that provides greater longitudinal strength compression resistance. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing high flexibility only where needed for delivery while maintaining strength where required for load bearing.
3Stability of the object's composition
If stents have uniform flexibility along their length, then structural consistency is maintained, but distal tracking through tortuous anatomy is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The stent incorporates a first link pattern in the distal portion that provides enhanced flexibility for tracking through tortuous calcified anatomy, while maintaining a second link pattern in the proximal portion for structural stability. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing enhanced distal flexibility only where needed while maintaining overall structural consistency.
4Strength
If deployed stents block side branch vessels, then main vessel support is improved, but access to side branches is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The stent design incorporates specific link patterns and portal rings at strategic locations that create openings or pathways for side branch access while maintaining radial strength for vessel support in the main body. This local differentiation allows the stent to provide comprehensive vessel support while preserving access to side branches.
Data Source
AI summary
An expandable stent for implantation in a body lumen, such as an artery, is disclosed. The stent consists of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical rings generally aligned on a common longitudinal stent axis and interconnected by one or more interconnecting links placed so that the stent is flexible in the longitudinal direction. The link pattern is optimized to enhance longitudinal flexibility and high longitudinal strength compression of the stent.