Bifurcation Stent Electrodes for Nitric Oxide Secretion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical technologies face challenges in effectively stimulating and maintaining blood vessel health, particularly in reducing atherosclerosis, inflammation, and restenosis, while promoting nitric oxide secretion for vasodilation and endothelial growth.
Innovation Solution
An electrode device with a control unit is inserted into blood vessels to apply electrical signals that induce nitric oxide secretion, using electrodes integrated into stents or placed within the aorta, to reduce platelet aggregation, promote endothelial growth, and enhance blood flow, thereby treating conditions like cardiac ischemia and glaucoma.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If electrical impulses are applied to stimulate vasodilation and nitric oxide secretion, then blood flow and endothelial health are improved, but the risk of platelet aggregation and thrombus formation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies electrical stimulation to induce nitric oxide secretion, which has a dual effect: it promotes vasodilation and blood flow (beneficial) while also creating a risk of platelet aggregation (harmful). The invention converts this harmful effect into a benefit by using the same electrical stimulation to stimulate endothelial cells to produce protective factors that prevent thrombus formation, thus turning the potential harm into a therapeutic advantage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs specific electrical stimulation parameters (frequency, amplitude, pulse duration) to optimize nitric oxide secretion while minimizing platelet aggregation. By carefully controlling these parameters, the system achieves effective vasodilation and endothelial protection without triggering excessive coagulation responses.
2Reliability
If electrical stimulation is used to promote endothelial growth and reduce atherosclerosis, then long-term vessel health is improved, but the device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into a single electrical stimulation device: it stimulates nitric oxide secretion, promotes endothelial growth, reduces atherosclerosis, and prevents restenosis. This multi-functional approach simplifies the overall treatment system compared to using separate devices for each therapeutic goal, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining comprehensive vessel health management.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical stimulation device is designed to trigger self-regulating biological processes in the endothelium. Once activated, the stimulated endothelial cells autonomously produce nitric oxide and other protective factors, creating a self-sustaining therapeutic effect that reduces the need for complex control mechanisms and continuous external intervention.
3Productivity
If high frequency electrical stimulation is applied to dilate blood vessels, then vasodilation and blood flow are enhanced, but smooth muscle contraction may occur leading to vessel narrowing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic electrical stimulation with specific frequency ranges to achieve cumulative vasodilation effects while avoiding smooth muscle contraction. By using intermittent pulses rather than continuous stimulation, the system allows the vessel to respond progressively to nitric oxide accumulation without triggering reflexive constriction responses.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts electrical stimulation parameters based on the desired therapeutic effect. By optimizing frequency, amplitude, and pulse width, the device achieves vasodilation through nitric oxide-mediated mechanisms while staying below the threshold that would trigger smooth muscle contraction and vessel narrowing.
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 solution effectively reduces atherosclerosis, inflammation, and restenosis, promotes endothelial growth, and enhances blood flow, addressing issues of cardiac ischemia and glaucoma by stimulating nitric oxide secretion in blood vessels.
Implementation Method 1
an electrode device is adapted to be inserted into a blood vessel. The electrode device comprises one or more electrodes that are adapted to apply an electrical signal to a wall of the blood vessel
Implementation Method 2
to configure the signal to induce an increase in nitric oxide (NO) secretion by the wall
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus (20) is provided, including a bifurcation stent (50) comprising one or more electrodes (32), the stent (50) configured to be placed in a primary passage (52) and a secondary passage (54) of a blood vessel (30), and a control unit (34), configured to drive the electrodes (32) to apply a signal to a wall (36) of the blood vessel (30), and to configure the signal to increase nitric oxide (NO) secretion by the wall (36). Other embodiments are also described.