Stent Manufacturing Using Pre-formed Helical Wire Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stents often suffer damage during manufacturing, leading to reduced elastic force and product quality, making them less effective for maintaining a stable position within blood vessels and potentially causing discomfort during insertion and removal.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing stents using two wire members where the first member forms a cylindrical structure with large mesh sizes, and the second member crosses its track to create a stent with small mesh sizes, incorporating spirally twisted struts to enhance radial elastic force and minimize diameter, thereby preventing material damage and improving insertion and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If wire members are woven sequentially on pins, then the stent can be manufactured with a cylindrical structure, but the standby wire member becomes twisted or waved and may be damaged, reducing elastic force and product quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming the standby wire member into a helical shape in advance before the weaving process begins. This pre-formed helical configuration prevents the wire from becoming twisted or waved during sequential weaving, thereby avoiding damage and maintaining elastic force while still enabling cylindrical structure formation.
2Device complexity
If wire members are woven sequentially, then manufacturing process is simplified, but the standby wire member suffers damage leading to reduced elastic force
Solution Approach 1:
The standby wire member is pre-formed into a helical shape before the weaving process, which simplifies the overall manufacturing process while preventing damage during sequential weaving. This preliminary helical formation ensures the wire maintains its strength and elastic force without requiring complex protective measures during the weaving operation.
3Ease of operation
If stent diameter is reduced for easier insertion, then insertion ease is improved, but manufacturing precision becomes more difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the helical parameters (such as helix angle, diameter, and pitch) of the pre-formed standby wire member to achieve the desired stent diameter. By controlling these helical parameters during the pre-forming process, the stent can be manufactured with precise diameter control while maintaining ease of insertion.
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 method produces stents with increased radial elastic force, allowing for easier insertion and stable positioning within blood vessels, reducing patient discomfort and enhancing healing outcomes by minimizing stent movement and diameter for easier introduction.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating spirally twisted struts to enhance radial elastic force
Implementation Method 2
The stent may be formed of a shape memory alloy such as nitinol maintaining a uniform expansion force at a temperature of the lumen
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of manufacturing a stent includes forming a first cylindrical mesh structure by bending a first member in a zigzag-shape having peaks and valleys and a plurality of turns wound around an outer circumference of a manufacturing frame and forming a second cylindrical mesh structure by bending a second member in a zigzag-shape having peaks and valleys and a plurality of turns wound around an outer circumference of a manufacturing frame, wherein a bending track the second member crosses a bending track of the first member.