Silicone Stent with Mesh Frame for Flexible Bronchoscope Implantation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing silicone stents are difficult to implant due to the need for rigid bronchoscope assistance and blind visual measurement, leading to increased surgical difficulty and a long learning curve.
Innovation Solution
A silicone stent with a mesh frame and protrusions on its outer peripheral wall, designed to stabilize the stent within the trachea, allowing for implantation using a flexible bronchoscope and Over Through Wire method, reducing the learning curve and implantation complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing silicone stent is used, then the stent can maintain trachea patency, but the stent is difficult to implant and requires rigid bronchoscope assistance
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is divided into multiple units along the axial direction, with each unit having an independent balloon expansion mechanism. This segmentation allows for controlled sequential expansion and simplifies the implantation process by enabling step-by-step deployment under flexible bronchoscope guidance rather than requiring rigid bronchoscope assistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent units are pre-assembled in a compressed state within a delivery catheter before implantation. The self-expanding mesh frame structure is prepared in advance to automatically expand when released from the catheter, eliminating the need for complex real-time manipulation during surgery and reducing implantation difficulty.
2Strength
If existing silicone stent is used, then the stent can provide structural support, but surgery becomes much more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stent employs a dynamic self-expanding mechanism where the mesh frame automatically transitions from a compressed delivery state to an expanded functional state. This dynamic transformation simplifies surgery by eliminating the need for complex manual expansion procedures and rigid bronchoscope manipulation, while maintaining adequate structural support through the self-expanding force.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent utilizes a flexible mesh frame structure that can be compressed into a thin profile for delivery through a catheter and then self-expands to provide adequate structural support. This flexible design reduces surgical complexity by enabling percutaneous or bronchoscopic delivery without requiring rigid instruments or complex surgical procedures.
3Reliability
If existing silicone stent is used, then the stent can ensure trachea unobstruction, but the learning curve of implantation operation is long
Solution Approach 1:
The stent incorporates self-expanding mechanisms and self-positioning features that automatically perform functions requiring complex manual manipulation. The self-expanding mesh frame and balloon-assisted deployment system enable the stent to self-deploy in a controlled manner, significantly reducing the learning curve by eliminating the need for extensive training in complex manual expansion techniques and rigid bronchoscope manipulation.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a silicone stent (100), an implantation system, and a manufacturing method. The silicone stent (100) includes a stent body (110). The stent body (110) includes a mesh frame (112) and a silicone body (111) molded on the mesh frame (112). A circumferentially sealed space (116) is defined within the silicone body (111). A distal end and a proximal end of the silicone body (111) respectively have a distal-end opening (115) and a proximal-end opening (114) that communicate with the space (116). The mesh frame (112) circumferentially covers the silicone body (111), and runs in an axial direction of the silicone body (111). The mesh frame (112) extends from the proximal end of the silicone body (111) to the distal end of the silicone body (111).