Segmented Hybrid Stent for Iliac Vein Patency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current stenting options for treating May-Thurner syndrome and deep vein thrombosis are limited by severe foreshortening, lack of flexibility, vessel wear, early fatigue failure, and potential impedance of flow in the overlying left iliac artery.
Innovation Solution
A stent comprising a first segment with a higher radial force and a second segment with a lower radial force, allowing for precise placement and expansion to maintain vessel patency while minimizing foreshortening and fatigue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stent is used to support the iliac vein, then vessel patency is improved, but foreshortening occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is divided into multiple segments or cells along its length, with each segment capable of independent expansion and contraction. This segmentation allows the stent to maintain overall length while providing radial support to the vessel, reducing foreshortening effects during deployment and use.
2Reliability
If a stent is made rigid to maintain vessel shape, then vessel patency is improved, but flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The stent incorporates regions with different mechanical properties along its structure. Certain segments have higher radial stiffness to maintain vessel patency, while other segments have lower stiffness to provide flexibility and conformability. This local variation in quality allows the stent to simultaneously achieve rigidity where needed and flexibility where required.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent structure includes dynamic elements that allow it to adapt its mechanical properties in response to external forces and physiological conditions. The stent can transition between more rigid and more flexible states, enabling it to maintain vessel patency while accommodating vessel movement and deformation.
3Reliability
If stent material is made stronger to prevent vessel wear, then vessel protection is improved, but fatigue resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is constructed from composite materials that combine the advantages of different material types. The composite structure provides both the strength needed to protect the vessel from wear and the fatigue resistance required for long-term durability. Different material layers or phases within the composite can perform different functions, with some providing strength and others providing fatigue resistance.
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 stent effectively supports the iliac vein, reducing the risk of stenosis, thrombosis, and vessel damage, while maintaining long-term patency and improving blood flow.
Implementation Method 1
a first stent segment, the first stent segment having a first radial force RF1 and a first diameter D1; and a second stent segment, the second stent segment having a first radial force RF2 and a second diameter D2
Data Source
AI summary
A stent includes a high radial force segment and a highly flexible segment, where the diameters of the high radial force segment and the highly flexible segment are substantially the same. The stent may further be placed with an additional stent segment, where the additional stent segment has a radial force similar to the radial force of the highly flexible force segment.