Sine Wave Nitinol Anastomosis Stent for Flexible Blood Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical methods for coronary artery disease, such as coronary artery bypass surgery and angioplasty, come with risks and limitations, and there is a need for an alternative that provides effective blood and oxygen flow to the heart with reduced complications.
Innovation Solution
A longitudinally and radially flexible anastomosis stent formed by a multiplicity of rings made of nitinol alloy, with a repetitive sine wave pattern and fused at specific points for radial flexibility, allowing for self-expansion and precise placement to bypass occlusions in coronary arteries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional coronary artery bypass surgery or angioplasty is performed, then blood and oxygen flow to the heart is restored, but the patient faces risks of complications such as infection, blood clots, heart attack, stroke, or restenosis
Solution Approach 1:
The stent utilizes shape memory alloy properties to change its physical state from compressed to expanded configuration through temperature or mechanical activation, enabling minimally invasive delivery while maintaining structural integrity for reliable blood flow restoration without traditional surgical risks
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces complex surgical mechanical systems with a self-expanding stent mechanism that uses material memory properties to automatically assume its functional shape upon deployment, eliminating the need for open-heart surgery or balloon angioplasty procedures and their associated complications
2Strength
If a rigid stent structure is used to maintain artery patency, then the artery remains open, but the stent cannot accommodate variations in vessel diameter and may cause damage
Solution Approach 1:
The stent employs a flexible mesh structure made of shape memory alloy that can radially expand and contract while maintaining longitudinal stability, allowing it to adapt to physiological movements and diameter variations in the coronary artery without compromising structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The stent transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure that can actively respond to changes in vessel diameter through its shape memory properties, enabling it to maintain optimal patency while accommodating physiological variations without causing damage
3Ease of operation
If a minimally invasive stent delivery approach is used, then patient recovery is faster and risks are reduced, but the stent must be compressed which may affect its ability to expand properly
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is designed to self-expand through its shape memory alloy properties upon deployment, automatically assuming its precise final configuration without requiring complex delivery mechanisms or manual expansion, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while enabling minimally invasive delivery
Solution Approach 2:
The stent is pre-formed with its final functional geometry during manufacturing, and the delivery system is designed to preserve this configuration during compression and delivery, ensuring that the pre-programmed shape is accurately restored upon deployment for precise placement
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 provides effective blood and oxygen flow to the heart by expanding to accommodate varying vessel diameters, reducing the risk of complications associated with traditional surgical methods and improving patient suitability for minimally invasive procedures.
Implementation Method 1
the elongated body being formed by a multiplicity of rings stacked adjacent to one another... each of the rings being formed by a single strand of wire bent in a repetitive pattern of sine waves... providing flexibility of the rings in the radial direction
Implementation Method 2
each of the rings being formed by a single strand of wire... made of a nitinol alloy
Data Source
AI summary
An anastomosis stent includes an elongated body of a tubular configuration having a length and diameter dimensions extending in axial and radial directions of the elongated body and in a transverse relationship to each other. The elongated body is formed by multiple rings stacked adjacent one another in a direction parallel to the length dimension. Each ring is a single strand of wire bent in a repetitive pattern of sine waves. Each sine wave defines an alternating peak and valley divided by a length dimension extending orthogonal to the length dimension of the elongated body. The rings are fused together at locations on selected pairs of adjacent peaks and valleys of the rings with the fused locations arranged in parallel rows. The elongated body includes main and end portion and a safety mark about the elongated body at the juncture therebetween.