Vascular Stent Graft Liner Seals Fenestration Ring Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endovascular repair devices face challenges in maximizing blood flow to vital organs and minimizing endoleaks during fenestrated vascular procedures for aortic aneurysms, particularly in juxtarenal and short-neck abdominal aortic aneurysms, which require improved designs to avoid additional surgical interventions.
Innovation Solution
A stent graft with a tubular graft component, proximal stent, ring, and liner configuration that provides additional protection against wear between the ring and bridging stents by sealing the ring from exposure on both surfaces, using a liner and tubular graft component, and optionally incorporating radiopaque markers for enhanced support and visibility during implantation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a ring is placed at the fenestration to provide support, then structural support is improved, but wear between the ring and bridging stent increases
Solution Approach 1:
A liner is introduced as an intermediary component between the ring and the bridging stent. The liner extends through the fenestration and contacts both the ring and the bridging stent, preventing direct contact between these two components. This mediator eliminates the wear problem while preserving the structural support function of the ring.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner functions as a thin film that seals the ring from exposure to the bridging stent. This thin film barrier protects the ring interface from wear while maintaining the structural integrity and support function of the ring at the fenestration.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a liner extends through the fenestration to seal the ring, then wear protection is improved, but blood flow to vital organs may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The liner is segmented to create a fenestration opening that allows blood flow to pass through to the vital organs. The liner seals the ring from the bridging stent while maintaining an open pathway for blood flow, thus resolving the contradiction between wear protection and blood flow requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner acts as a mediator that selectively seals certain interfaces (ring to bridging stent) while leaving other pathways (blood flow channels) open. This selective sealing function protects against wear without compromising blood flow to vital organs.
3Measurement precision
If radiopaque markers are added to the ring for visibility, then detection precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Radiopaque markers are added to the ring structure to provide visual contrast during imaging-guided implantation. These markers enable precise visualization and positioning of the ring and fenestration without significantly increasing device complexity, as they are integrated into the existing ring design.
Data Source
AI summary
A stent graft and methods for treatment of aortic aneurysms includes a tubular graft component defining an inside surface, and outside surface, an open proximal end, an open distal end, and the fenestration. A proximal radial stent is proximal to the fenestration and a distal radial stent is distal to the fenestration. A ring at the tubular graft component extends along the tubular graft component and around the fenestration. A liner extends between the inside surface and the outside surface, and through the fenestration, the ring thereby being sealed from exposure at one surface of the tubular graft component by the liner, and at the other surface of the tubular graft component by the tubular graft component and the liner.