Multi-Stent Multi-Balloon Delivery for Bifurcation Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stents face challenges in treating bifurcations due to issues such as stent jailing, plaque shifting, and difficulty in accessing side branches, leading to complications like vessel spasm and thrombosis, especially when treating bifurcated vessels.
Innovation Solution
A dual-catheter system with independently expandable members and stents is used to deliver and expand stents in both the main and side branches of a bifurcated vessel, allowing for precise placement and expansion without obstructing the side branch, using notched stents and balloons to facilitate alignment and support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a stent traverses the ostium of the side branch to treat bifurcations, then the main branch and side branch can be treated simultaneously, but the stent obstructs blood flow into the side branch and blocks access by other devices (stent jailing)
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery system is divided into two separate catheters: a first catheter for delivering the main branch stent and a second catheter for delivering the side branch stent. This segmentation allows independent access and deployment in each branch without obstruction, resolving the stent jailing problem while maintaining the ability to treat both branches simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The second catheter (carrying the side branch stent) is nested within the lumen of the first catheter (carrying the main branch stent) during delivery. This nesting allows both catheters to reach the bifurcation site together, enabling simultaneous treatment of both branches while keeping the side branch accessible through the nested catheter's lumen
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional single-catheter systems are used for bifurcation treatment, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to independently treat and access both main and side branches is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Both the first and second catheters are designed with universal features including guidewire lumens, inflation lumens, and similar structural characteristics. This multi-functionality allows each catheter to perform independent delivery and expansion tasks while sharing common design elements, reducing operational complexity despite the dual-catheter configuration
Solution Approach 2:
A guidewire serves as an intermediary element that can be advanced through both catheters to establish proper positioning and alignment at the bifurcation site. This mediator facilitates coordinated deployment of both stents while simplifying the overall delivery procedure
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
The system enables safer, more reliable, and effective treatment of bifurcated vessels by ensuring proper stent placement and expansion, reducing complications and improving clinical outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
The proximal and distal expandable members each have a collapsed configuration and a radially expanded configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A system for treating a bifurcated vessel that includes a first delivery catheter and a second delivery catheter. The first delivery catheter carries a proximal first stent and a distal second stent. The first delivery catheter also has a first elongate shaft, a proximal first expandable member with the proximal first stent disposed thereover, and a distal second expandable member with the distal second stent disposed thereover. The proximal first expandable member and distal second expandable member are independently expandable of one another. The second delivery catheter carries a third stent. The second delivery catheter also has a second elongate shaft, and a third expandable member with the third stent disposed thereover. The third expandable member is independently expandable of the proximal first expandable member and the distal second expandable member.