Monolithic Stent with Varying Stiffness Bridges for Kink Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intravascular stents are prone to collapse when bent around sharp angles, limiting their flexibility and effectiveness in tightly curved vessels.
Innovation Solution
The development of monolithic medical devices with a main body structure interconnected by bridges of varying stiffness, which provide radial force, flexibility, and conformability, allowing the stent to bend and conform to complex vessel geometries without assembly or friction, thus minimizing flow interruption and enabling retrievability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If prior art stent design is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the stent collapses when bent around sharp angles
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is divided into multiple struts that are interconnected by bridges, creating a segmented lattice structure. This segmentation allows each strut to independently respond to bending forces while the bridges provide controlled connectivity, preventing collapse at sharp angles without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridges connecting the struts are designed with varying stiffness characteristics tailored to local requirements. The bridge structure provides enhanced flexibility and conformability in regions requiring bending, while maintaining radial force where needed, thus improving kink resistance without uniformly increasing overall device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If monolithic stent with varying stiffness bridges is used, then conformability and flexibility are improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge structures are designed with varying geometric parameters such as thickness, cross-sectional area, and configuration to control stiffness locally. By adjusting these parameters during manufacturing, the stent achieves conformability to complex vessel geometries while maintaining manufacturability through standard precision fabrication processes.
3Device complexity
If monolithic design is used, then device simplicity and retrievability are improved, but radial force generation must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The stent employs a curved lattice architecture where struts are arranged in arcuate patterns. This curvature design allows the monolithic structure to generate radial force through geometric configuration rather than requiring complex multi-component assemblies, maintaining simplicity while ensuring adequate force generation for vessel wall apposition.
Data Source
AI summary
A monolithic device comprising an ultra-dense stent cell pattern including a plurality of structural members that diverts the majority of blood flow without restricting blood flow completely. The method of making medical devices comprises vapor depositing an initial film onto a substrate, laser cutting a device pattern through the initial film, electropolishing the patterned device while disposed on the substrate, and releasing the patterned device from the substrate.