Reconfigurable Stent With Microcells Adapting to Vessel Shape
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stents often cause trauma to tubular structures when deployed due to the force exerted, leading to restricted blood flow and potential restenosis in blood vessels, and similar issues in other bodily systems.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable stent with a lattice structure and microcells that can move to match the shape of the vessel, using electrostatically held microsurfaces and a polymeric casing for protection and anchoring, along with sensors and a control system to minimize stress on the vessel walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional stents are deployed to hold open narrowed blood vessels, then vessel patency is maintained, but trauma to the tubular structure occurs due to the force exerted by the stent
Solution Approach 1:
The stent incorporates microcells with movable microsurfaces that can dynamically adjust their configuration in response to sensed mechanical, thermal, or chemical conditions of the vessel wall, transitioning from a static force-applying structure to a dynamic adaptive system that maintains patency while minimizing trauma
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors are integrated into the stent structure to detect conditions of the vessel wall, providing feedback that enables the microcells to adjust their configuration in real-time, optimizing the balance between maintaining vessel patency and minimizing trauma to the tubular structure
2Productivity
If stents are used to prop open narrowed blood vessels, then blood flow is restored, but excess tissue proliferation occurs leading to restenosis
Solution Approach 1:
The stent utilizes the body's own biological environment as a source of control signals, where thermal, mechanical, or chemical conditions of the vessel wall automatically trigger microcell adjustments without requiring external intervention, enabling the device to self-regulate its interaction with surrounding tissue
3Reliability
If force is exerted by stents to maintain vessel openness, then patency is maintained, but trauma results to the tubular structure
Solution Approach 1:
The stent changes its physical parameters (configuration, surface orientation, contact pressure) in response to environmental conditions detected by sensors, allowing it to maintain vessel openness while adapting the magnitude and distribution of forces applied to minimize trauma to the tubular structure
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 reconfigurable stent maintains vessel patency while reducing trauma by adapting its shape to match the vessel, using micro- and macromovements, and is anchored to prevent displacement, thus providing a non-traumatic solution for maintaining vessel openness.
Implementation Method 1
at least a pair of electrodes configured to electrostatically hold in place at least one corner of the microsurface
Implementation Method 2
the microsurface is further mounted on a springe-tipped yoke on the torsional hinge, the yoke configured to rotate on the torsional hinge at least +/-12°
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
Provided herein is a system including, in some embodiments, a stent and a catheter. The stent includes a number of filaments arranged to form a tubular body of the stent, a number of microcells forming each filament of the number of filaments, and a port in an end portion of the stent. Each microcell includes a moveable microsurface. The port of the stent may be configured to accept power and control signals for moving the microsurfaces. The catheter may include a cable configured to connect with the port of the stent and provide the power and the control signals for moving the microsurfaces. Moving the microsurfaces may include matching a shape of an anatomical vessel to maintain patency thereof while mitigating stress on the anatomical vessel.