Stent Guard Structure Prevents Suture Tangling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manipulation of suture structures within braided stent structures often results in tangling with overlapping elongate members, which is undesirable for unimpeded displacement and maintenance of the stent's profile during insertion and deployment.
Innovation Solution
A guard structure is secured to the stent adjacent to crossover structures to obstruct the suture from contacting overlapping elongate members, preventing tangling and ensuring the suture remains within loop structures, thereby maintaining the stent's reduced profile during insertion and deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the suture structure is manipulated within the stent structure during insertion and deployment, then the stent can be cinched to reduce its profile for insertion, but the suture structure may become tangled with the overlapping elongate members of the crossover structures
Solution Approach 1:
A guard structure is introduced as an intermediary element between the suture structure and the crossover structures of the stent. The guard structure physically blocks the suture from contacting the overlapping elongate members, preventing tangling while allowing the cinching operation to proceed. This mediator resolves the contradiction by enabling profile reduction without causing suture entanglement.
2Ease of operation
If the suture structure is drawn into direct contact with the overlapping longitudinal portions of the elongate members, then the elongate members may be forced apart to provide a path for the suture, but this displacement is not desirable as the suture should remain within the loop structures
Solution Approach 1:
The guard structure is positioned in advance to prevent the suture from making contact with the crossover structures. By applying preliminary anti-action, the guard structure stops the suture before it can be drawn into direct contact with the overlapping elongate members, thereby preventing the undesired displacement of the suture from its intended path within the loop structures.
3Productivity
If the stent structure is cinched to reduce profile for insertion, then the device can be displaced through vessels, but the manipulation may cause tangling of the suture with the stent structure
Solution Approach 1:
The guard structure serves as a mediator that enables the cinching operation to proceed efficiently without causing suture tangling. It allows the profile reduction necessary for insertion while maintaining unimpeded suture displacement, thus resolving the contradiction between insertion efficiency and ease of suture manipulation.
Data Source
AI summary
An endoprosthesis includes a stent structure having an elongate member longitudinal portions of which overlap to define the crossover structures. The stent structure may also include loop structures, which are contiguous with the crossover structures, through which a filament extends. A guard structure is secured to the stent structure and located adjacent to the crossover structures to obstruct displacement of the filament between the longitudinal portions of the elongate member of the crossover structures. A method for operating the endoprosthesis includes displacing the loop structures toward one another along the filament to displaced positions relative to the suture structure for reducing the respective profiles of the stent structure and patch structure.