Stent Graft External Scaffold Tissue Integration

The patent applies porous materials by incorporating a scaffold with interconnected pores into the graft structure. This scaffold provides a porous framework that allows tissue infiltration and integration, directly counteracting the hydrophobicity of the graft material. The porous structure enables cell migration and tissue growth while maintaining the structural integrity of the graft, thereby resolving the contradiction between structural function and tissue integration capability.

The patent employs composite materials by combining the hydrophobic graft material with a hydrophilic scaffold structure. This composite construction integrates two materials with complementary properties: the graft material provides structural integrity and barrier function, while the scaffold provides tissue integration capability. The composite structure synergistically combines these functions to eliminate the harmful effects of hydrophobicity while preserving structural requirements.

The patent applies merging by integrating the scaffold structure directly with the graft material through mechanical interlocking and chemical bonding. Rather than treating them as separate components requiring complex assembly, the scaffold and graft are combined into a unified structure where the scaffold is embedded within or attached to the graft material. This merging approach reduces device complexity by eliminating separate assembly steps while maintaining the tissue integration benefits.

The patent applies self-service through the self-organizing properties of the scaffold structure that automatically facilitates tissue integration upon implantation. The scaffold's porous architecture inherently guides tissue growth and infiltration without requiring additional active components or complex control mechanisms. The structure serves its own function of promoting biological fixation through its passive geometric configuration, thereby avoiding increased device complexity.