PTFE Stent Coating With Uniform Pressing to Prevent Peeling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods face challenges in forming a PTFE film on stents of varying shapes without peeling and ensuring uniform adhesion, often requiring additional coatings like silicone and suture threads.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a jig shaped like the stent, with PTFE tape winding and heating, followed by elastic members and a mold to uniformly adhere PTFE sheets, forming a stable film without gaps or peeling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a heating rod is fitted into a jig to heat and press PTFE films on a stent, then the PTFE films can be adhered to seal spaces, but the stent is not properly pressed and portions of the films are not adhered, causing peeling
Solution Approach 1:
A pressing member is introduced as an intermediary component between the heating rod and the PTFE films. This pressing member applies uniform pressure across the entire surface of the PTFE films during heating, ensuring complete adhesion and preventing peeling, while simplifying the overall device structure by separating the pressing and heating functions into distinct components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the stent has expanded portions with large diameter, then the stent can function properly, but gaps are formed between the SUS rod and expanded portions, making it impossible to wind outer PTFE artificial blood vessel
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member is designed to be flexible and adaptable, capable of conforming to various stent geometries including expanded portions with large diameters. This dynamic adaptation allows the pressing member to maintain contact with the stent surface across different shapes and sizes, enabling uniform PTFE film application without gaps.
3Reliability
If suture threads are used to stitch PTFE films to the stent, then connection can be achieved, but it is difficult to stitch the suture thread to connect the elements
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical stitching process using suture threads is replaced with a thermal-adhesive process. The PTFE films are heated and pressed directly onto the stent surface, creating a reliable bond through heat activation and pressure, which is significantly easier to perform and more reliable than manual stitching.
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 method ensures stable PTFE film formation on stents of any shape, preventing peeling and facilitating uniform adhesion, enhancing stent functionality in luminal lesions.
Implementation Method 1
putting the stent, with the jig fitted thereinto, into an oven to heat the jig and the stent so that the first and second sheets of PTFE tape become ready to be adhered to each other
Implementation Method 2
pressing the upper elastic member using a press member to transmit pressure from the mold and the press member to entire areas of the lower elastic member and the upper elastic member so that the first and second sheets of PTFE tape are adhered to each other to form a PTFE film on the stent
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method of forming a PTFE film on a stent, a stent manufactured thereby, and more particularly to a method capable of forming a PTFE film on a stent regardless of the shape of the stent, preventing the PTFE film from being peeled off from the stent, and facilitating formation of the PTFE film on the stent, a stent manufactured through the method.