Stent Loading System Hook Straightener and Compressor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stent designs face challenges in safely and accurately inserting the flange and hook structures into a sheath due to their fluffy state at normal temperatures and the need for manual straightening, which can cause damage, especially for patients with valvular heart disease requiring transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement or repair.
Innovation Solution
A stent loading system comprising a hook straightener, compressor, and reducer, where the hook straightener prepares the stent for crimping, and the reducer ensures smooth insertion by gradually decreasing the stent's diameter to fit within the sheath, minimizing the risk of damage and ensuring accurate placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the stent is compressed in an ice-water bath, then the stent can be crimped for delivery, but the flange structure remains in a fluffy state that cannot be safely or accurately inserted into the sheath
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by straightening the hook structure before crimping the stent. The hook straightening device straightens the hook in advance, and only after this preliminary straightening does the system proceed to compress the stent in the ice-water bath. This sequence ensures that the hook is in a straight state during crimping, preventing deformation while allowing the flange to be properly shaped and inserted into the sheath afterward.
2Ease of operation
If manual straightening of the hook is performed, then the hook can be prepared for loading, but artificial damage occurs to the stent structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by using a mechanical hook straightening device that automatically straightens the hook through controlled mechanical action. The device includes a straightening component that engages with the hook and applies controlled force to straighten it without requiring manual manipulation. This automated approach eliminates the risk of artificial damage from manual straightening while maintaining operational ease, as the device performs the straightening function through its engineered mechanism rather than relying on operator skill or manual force.
3Productivity
If the flange is inserted into the sheath from the inflow end to the outflow end, then the stent can be delivered, but the fluffy flange structure cannot be safely inserted without damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing multiple preliminary operations before the final insertion: first straightening the hook, then compressing the stent in an ice-water bath to stabilize the flange structure, and only after these preparations does the system proceed to insert the flange into the sheath. This sequence of preliminary actions transforms the fluffy, unstable flange into a stabilized structure that can be safely inserted without damage, while maintaining efficient delivery through the automated compression and insertion mechanisms.
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 system effectively straightens hooks, reduces the risk of artificial damage, and ensures smooth delivery of the stent into the sheath without folding or bending the flange, enhancing the safety and accuracy of the stent loading process.
Implementation Method 1
the stent on which the at least one hook is straightened is reduced in diameter and crimped through the compressor
Implementation Method 2
a hook straightener, used for straightening at least one hook on the stent
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a stent loading system and a method using the same for loading a stent into a sheath. The stent includes a stent body, and an outer periphery of one end of the stent body is provided with a hook. The stent loading system includes a hook straightener for straightening the hook on the stent and a compressor, wherein the stent in which the hook is straightened is reduced in diameter and crimped through the compressor, and the stent crimped is delivered into a preloaded tube; the stent is connected with a delivery system penetrating in the sheath, and the stent in the preloaded tube is delivered into the sheath under the traction of the delivery system.