Stent Delivery Catheter Expansion Aid Element

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing stent delivery systems fail to ensure reliable expansion of stents in curved blood vessel sections, leading to potential collapse and reduced blood flow due to uneven expansion.

Innovation Solution

A delivery system with a catheter and a longitudinally displaceable actuating element featuring a receiving area with a radially prestressed expansion aid element that automatically expands to support the radial expansion of the stent, preventing collapse by exerting a radial expansion force on the stent after release from the catheter.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional delivery system is used to deliver stents to curved vessel sections, then the stent can be delivered to the destination, but the stent may collapse or assume an oval cross-sectional contour due to uneven expansion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestent expansion reliabilityVSAvoidstent cross-sectional shape
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The expansion aid element is pre-compressed within the catheter during delivery, storing elastic energy that will be released during expansion. This preliminary compression ensures that when the stent is released from the catheter, the expansion aid element automatically expands to provide uniform radial support, preventing collapse in curved vessel sections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The expansion aid element acts as an intermediary component between the catheter and the stent. During delivery, it is compressed within the catheter; during expansion, it serves as a mediator that transfers and distributes radial force uniformly across the stent, ensuring even expansion and preventing ovalization in curved vessels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the stent is compressed within the catheter for delivery, then it can be delivered through the vessel, but it cannot expand uniformly in curved sections with narrow radius of curvature

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestent delivery easeVSAvoidstent expansion uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The expansion aid element is pre-compressed within the catheter during delivery, storing elastic energy that will be released during expansion. This preliminary compression ensures that when the stent is released from the catheter, the expansion aid element automatically expands to provide uniform radial support, preventing collapse in curved vessel sections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The expansion aid element undergoes a parameter change from a compressed state within the catheter to an expanded state after release. This parameter change (compression-to-expansion transition) enables the element to provide uniform radial support to the stent, ensuring even expansion in curved vessel sections while maintaining ease of delivery through the catheter.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If the stent expands in curved vessel sections, then it opens the flow channel, but buckling occurs and blood flow is further reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflow channel opening efficiencyVSAvoidstent buckling
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The expansion aid element is pre-compressed within the catheter during delivery, storing elastic energy that will be released during expansion. This preliminary compression ensures that when the stent is released from the catheter, the expansion aid element automatically expands to provide uniform radial support, preventing collapse in curved vessel sections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The expansion aid element acts as an intermediary component between the catheter and the stent. During delivery, it is compressed within the catheter; during expansion, it serves as a mediator that transfers and distributes radial force uniformly across the stent, ensuring even expansion and preventing ovalization in curved vessels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 system ensures uniform and reliable expansion of stents in both straight and curved vessel sections, maintaining blood flow by providing additional radial expansion force, thereby preventing stent buckling and ensuring effective deployment.

Implementation Method 1

An expansion aid element (41) can be arranged in the receiving area (40), which is radially pretensioned within the catheter (10). The expansion aid element (41) can expand automatically after being released from the catheter (10). The expansion aid element (41) has a radial expansion aid force, so that a radial expansion of the functional element (50) can be supported or is supported.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic recovery: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2666444B1Feed system for a medical functional element, kit including such a feed system and a method for releasing a medical functional element from such a feed system
Publication Date: 2017.12.20 ACANDIS
  • EP2666444B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2666444B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2c
  • EP2666444B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

The invention relates to a delivery system for a medical functional element (50) comprising a catheter (10) and an actuating element (20), which is arranged to be longitudinally displaceable in the catheter (10) and has a receiving area (40) for the functional element (50) in a distal end section (21), wherein the actuating element (20) is detachably connectable to the functional element (50) such that the functional element (50) can be moved relative to the catheter (10) by the actuating element (20) during use. The invention is characterized in that an expansion aid element (41) is arranged in the receiving area (40), which is radially pre-tensioned within the catheter (10) and can be expanded automatically after release from the catheter (10), wherein the expansion aid element (41) has a radial expansion aid force such that a radial expansion of the functional element (50) can be supported or is supported.