Non-Circular Stent Reshaping to Reduce Blood Stagnation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Blood stagnation occurs between stent implant devices and blood vessel tissue, affecting patient outcomes due to gaps formed between stent frames and blood vessel walls.
Innovation Solution
Non-circular stent devices with tissue-engagement features, such as barbs or helical coil anchors, are integrated with the stent frame to enhance coupling to the blood vessel wall, reducing blood stagnation and improving blood flow characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stent implant device is deployed in a blood vessel, then the blood vessel is supported and patency is maintained, but gaps form between the stent frame and blood vessel wall causing blood stagnation
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful gaps between the stent frame and blood vessel wall are extracted and eliminated by deploying tissue-engagement features that physically remove the space where blood stagnation occurs, converting the harmful gap into a sealed interface
Solution Approach 2:
The tissue-engagement features convert the potentially harmful penetration into beneficial anchoring, where the same features that could damage tissue are designed to securely engage the vessel wall and eliminate stagnation zones, turning a risk into a solution for blood flow improvement
2Reliability
If tissue-engagement features are added to the stent, then coupling to the blood vessel wall is enhanced and blood stagnation is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tissue-engagement features are merged with the stent frame structure itself, integrating the anchoring function into the existing support framework rather than adding separate components, thereby enhancing coupling while minimizing structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The stent frame is designed to serve multiple functions: providing structural support, enabling tissue engagement through integrated features, and facilitating blood flow management, thereby reducing the need for additional specialized components
3Productivity
If non-circular stent configuration is used, then blood flow characteristics are improved and vascular compliance is enhanced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is designed with non-circular asymmetric configurations that mimic the natural elliptical shape of blood vessels, improving blood flow characteristics and vascular compliance by matching physiological geometry rather than imposing a rigid circular form
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of reshaping blood vessels for improving compliance and increasing blood flow are disclosed. One preferred method includes deploying a tubular stent frame within a blood vessel. The stent frame preferably has a non-circular cross-section with a major-axis and a minor-axis. At least one tissue anchor is provided along a wall portion on the minor-axis. The tissue anchor is embedded into a wall of the blood vessel and the wall of the blood vessel is drawn into contact with the minor-axis wall portion. Preferably, tissue anchors are provided along opposing minor-axes of the stent frame for reshaping the blood vessel into a substantially oval cross-section. When exposed to high blood pressure, the stent frame expands to a more circular shape for allowing more blood to pass therethrough. Under low pressure, the stent frame returns to a non-circular cross-section to aid with the pumping of blood.