Modular Stent-Graft with Localized Reinforcement for Aortic Dissections
Solution Overview
Problem
Current stent-graft systems for treating Type B aortic dissections require customization and complex modifications, which are costly and difficult to deploy effectively, and often cause damage to the vasculature due to high radial strength across the entire length.
Innovation Solution
A multi-component stent-graft system comprising a main module with a tubular stent-graft and an optional secondary module, designed to be assembled in situ to accommodate patient anatomy without prior customization, featuring a dissection-reinforcement axial portion with enhanced radial strength only in specific areas to seal tears while minimizing deployment complexity and vascular damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If high radial strength is applied across the entire length of the stent-graft, then the stent-graft can effectively seal tears and reinforce the aortic wall, but it causes damage to the vasculature and increases deployment complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The stent-graft incorporates a dissection-reinforcement axial portion with enhanced radial strength only in the specific region where aortic dissection tears occur, rather than uniformly across the entire length. This localized reinforcement uses denser or stronger structural elements (such as increased stent density, thicker struts, or reinforced graft material) specifically in the axial portion corresponding to the dissection site, while other regions maintain standard construction. This approach provides necessary tear sealing capability at the dissection site while minimizing vascular damage and deployment complexity in non-dissection regions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If customization and complex modifications are performed on stent-grafts to accommodate patient anatomy, then the treatment can be precisely tailored to individual patients, but the cost and deployment complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The stent-graft is divided into distinct modular components including a main body portion and a separable dissection-reinforcement axial portion. This segmentation allows the reinforcement portion to be selectively deployed only when aortic dissection is present, while the main body remains a standard off-the-shelf component. The modular design enables clinicians to choose appropriate standard-sized main bodies based on patient anatomy and add reinforcement only when needed, eliminating the need for complete customization of the entire stent-graft while still achieving precise anatomical accommodation and effective dissection treatment.
3Ease of manufacture
If the stent-graft is designed with uniform radial strength throughout, then manufacturing is simpler, but it cannot effectively address localized dissection tears without causing unnecessary vascular damage
Solution Approach 1:
The stent-graft employs different structural characteristics in different axial regions to optimize both manufacturing and clinical performance. The dissection-reinforcement axial portion uses enhanced construction (such as increased stent density, thicker struts, or reinforced graft material) specifically tailored to seal dissection tears, while the non-dissection portions use standard, simpler construction. This localized differentiation maintains reasonable manufacturing complexity while significantly improving tear sealing effectiveness at the critical dissection site, achieving reliable treatment without unnecessary vascular damage.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A generally tubular stent-graft has distal and proximal stent-graft ends and includes a generally tubular support element and a covering element. When the stent-graft is unconstrained in a radially-expanded state: the covering and support elements are shaped so as to together define a lateral fenestration having distal and proximal fenestration ends, a perimeter of the distal stent-graft end equals at least 200% of a perimeter of the proximal stent-graft end, and the stent-graft includes a dissection-reinforcement axial portion, which (a) has a proximal dissection-reinforcement end that is disposed no more than 20 mm proximal to the proximal fenestration end, extends along the stent-graft for a distance equal to between 5% and 32% of a greatest perimeter of the stent-graft distally to the distal fenestration end, and (c) has a radial strength that is at least 10% greater than an average radial strength of the entire stent-graft.