Protuberant Aneurysm Bridging Device for Wide-Neck Bifurcation Occlusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wide-necked aneurysms near vascular bifurcations pose a challenge as existing occlusive materials often fall out of the aneurysm and into the arteries, causing embolic stroke, due to the difficulty in maintaining embolic material within the aneurysm while ensuring patency of blood flow through both branches.
Innovation Solution
A protuberant aneurysm bridging device with a vessel-conforming design, delivered via a microcatheter, is placed across the aneurysm, allowing for patency of blood flow and retention of embolic material within the aneurysm, using a stent-like wire-frame structure with radiopaque markers for precise deployment and expansion to secure the device within the vasculature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If occlusive material is placed in the aneurysm, then the aneurysm is occluded and rupture is prevented, but the embolic material may fall out into the arteries causing embolic stroke
Solution Approach 1:
A bridging device is introduced as an intermediary structure between the parent artery and the aneurysm. This device spans the aneurysm neck and provides a scaffold that holds embolic coils in place, preventing them from falling into the parent artery while still allowing controlled occlusion of the aneurysm sac.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridging device is deployed first before placing the embolic coils. This preliminary action establishes a protective framework that prevents coil migration before the coils are introduced, ensuring they remain contained within the aneurysm during the occlusion process.
2Reliability
If a standard occlusive device is used, then the aneurysm can be treated, but the device cannot maintain patency of blood flow through both branches at bifurcations
Solution Approach 1:
The bridging device features non-uniform strut density and configuration - the proximal portion has higher strut density for secure anchoring in the parent artery, while the distal portion has lower density to allow blood flow through the bifurcation branches. This local differentiation enables simultaneous aneurysm occlusion and maintenance of distal blood flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is divided into distinct functional segments: a proximal portion for anchoring in the parent artery, a central bridging portion spanning the aneurysm neck, and a distal portion that conforms to the bifurcation geometry. Each segment is optimized for its specific function, with the distal segment designed to preserve blood flow pathways.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the device is made coarse to allow blood flow, then patency is maintained, but embolic coils cannot be retained within the aneurysm
Solution Approach 1:
The device exhibits varying openness characteristics in different regions. The proximal and central portions have tighter strut configurations to retain embolic coils, while the distal portion near the bifurcation has more open spacing to allow blood flow. This spatial variation in structural density simultaneously achieves coil retention and flow patency.
Data Source
AI summary
An aneurysm bridging device can be placed in the neurovasculature of a patient by advancing the aneurysm bridging device in a small-diameter configuration a delivery catheter to a target region within the neurovasculature and securing the distal region of the aneurysm bridging device to the neurovasculature. While the distal region of the aneurysm bridging device is secured to the neurovasculature, the proximal region of the aneurysm bridging device can be advanced to permit the aneurysm bridging device to expand from the small-diameter configuration and to deform and twist in a central region of the aneurysm bridging device. The proximal region of the aneurysm bridging device can be secured within the neurovasculature to maintain the central region of the aneurysm bridging device in a deformed state.