Stent Delivery System with Thermal Insulation Sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current stent delivery systems for the pancreaticobiliary system face challenges in accurately and precisely deploying stents across body lumens to bypass obstructions, often resulting in incomplete deployment and potential leakage, which can lead to discomfort and medical complications.
Innovation Solution
A stent delivery system comprising an inner tubular member, an outer sheath, a distal cutting element with an electrode, and a tubular sleeve, where the stent is coaxially positioned between the inner tubular member and the outer sheath, with an anchoring component to retain the stent in place as the sheath is retracted, ensuring precise deployment and expansion within the body lumen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stent delivery system is used to place a stent across the body lumen, then the stent can bypass the obstruction, but the deployment accuracy and precision are insufficient, resulting in incomplete deployment and potential leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery system is divided into multiple functional components: an inner tubular member for advancing through the body lumen, an outer sheath for protecting and positioning the stent, a distal cutting element with electrode for creating access sites, and a tubular sleeve for thermal insulation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally, ensuring precise and complete stent deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchoring component acts as an intermediary mechanism between the stent and the delivery system. It retains the stent in place during delivery and then releases it at the precise location, enabling accurate deployment without leakage. The tubular sleeve also serves as an intermediary for thermal insulation during the cutting element's operation.
2Measurement precision
If the stent is advanced over a guidewire into the bile duct, then the stent can be positioned, but the delivery system becomes more complex requiring multiple components and steps
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery system is designed with multi-functionality to reduce the need for separate components. The inner tubular member serves both as the delivery conduit and the structural support for the stent. The outer sheath provides both protection and positioning guidance. The distal cutting element with electrode creates access sites while the tubular sleeve provides thermal insulation. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall system while maintaining positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent is disposed coaxially on the inner tubular member, with the outer sheath disposed coaxially along at least a portion of the inner tubular member such that the stent is disposed between the inner tubular member and the outer sheath. This nested arrangement allows compact storage and precise positioning, reducing the complexity of multiple separate components.
3Ease of operation
If the distal cutting element with electrode is used to create the access site, then the access can be established, but thermal damage to the inner tubular member may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular sleeve acts as a thermal intermediary between the distal cutting element with electrode and the inner tubular member. It is disposed coaxially over a distal end portion of the inner tubular member and configured to thermally insulate at least a portion of the inner tubular member, preventing thermal damage while allowing the electrode to create the access site effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The tubular sleeve is positioned beforehand to provide thermal insulation protection to the inner tubular member before the distal cutting element with electrode creates the access site. This prior cushioning prevents thermal damage during the cutting operation.
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 enables accurate and precise deployment of stents across body lumens, preventing leakage and ensuring effective bypass of obstructions, thereby reducing discomfort and medical complications.
Implementation Method 1
The distal cutting element is coupled with a distal end portion of the inner tubular member and has an electrode configured to create the access site in the wall of the body lumen
Implementation Method 2
The tubular sleeve is disposed coaxially over a distal end portion of the inner tubular member and is configured to thermally insulate at least a portion of the inner tubular member
Data Source
AI summary
A system for delivering a stent into a body lumen includes an inner tubular member configured to advance through an access site in a wall of a body lumen for delivering a stent into the body lumen and an electrode configured to create the access site in the wall of the body lumen. A tubular sleeve is disposed coaxially over the distal end portion of the inner tubular member and is configured to thermally insulate at least a portion of the inner tubular member.