Stent with Intermediate Curved Configuration for Tortuous Vessels

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional medical devices, such as stents, face significant strain and fatigue when deployed in body lumens that undergo extreme bending, leading to a high risk of fracture due to the need for large degrees of deformation from a straight to a curved configuration.

Innovation Solution

A medical device, specifically a stent, is designed to have an intermediate unloaded configuration that is approximately midway between its first and second loaded configurations, allowing it to accommodate pre-existing vessel deformation, thereby minimizing strain and fatigue by bending through a single or multiple pre-set bends, and featuring visual alignment markers for precise placement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the device is designed to accommodate extreme bending in body lumens, then the device can be deployed in tortuous vessels, but the device undergoes large degrees of deformation leading to high strain and fatigue

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to tortuous vessel configurationsVSAvoidrisk of fracture due to strain and fatigue

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The device is pre-configured with an intermediate unloaded configuration that is approximately midway between the first and second loaded configurations. This preliminary geometric arrangement allows the device to accommodate pre-existing vessel deformation, minimizing the degree of deformation required during deployment and reducing strain and fatigue

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The device incorporates curved geometries including single bends, multiple bends, and helical shapes in its intermediate unloaded configuration. These pre-set curvatures match the tortuous configurations of body lumens, allowing the device to adapt to vessel geometry without undergoing excessive deformation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the device undergoes large deformation from first loaded configuration to second loaded configuration, then the device can accommodate vessel deformation, but the strain and fatigue on the device increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to accommodate vessel deformationVSAvoidstrain and fatigue resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The intermediate unloaded configuration is pre-designed to be approximately midway between the first and second loaded configurations. This preliminary geometric state reduces the deformation pathway length, minimizing the strain and fatigue the device undergoes while accommodating vessel deformation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The device geometry is optimized by changing the configuration parameters to include intermediate curved states. The degree of deformation from the intermediate configuration to either loaded configuration is less than the deformation from one loaded configuration to the other, reducing mechanical stress

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the device is designed with an intermediate unloaded configuration, then the degree of deformation is reduced, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereduced strain and fatigueVSAvoidgeometric configuration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The intermediate unloaded configuration incorporates curved geometries including single bends, multiple bends, and helical shapes. While these add geometric complexity, they are simple continuous curves that can be manufactured using standard techniques, balancing reliability improvement with manufacturing feasibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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

This design reduces the strain and fatigue on the stent by allowing it to adapt to tortuous vessel configurations with minimized deformation, enhancing mechanical performance and reducing the risk of fracture, while also providing improved alignment and deployment precision.

Implementation Method 1

The degree of deformation which the device undergoes moving from the unloaded configuration to either the first loaded configuration or the second loaded configuration is less than the device would undergo moving directly from the first loaded configuration to the second loaded configuration

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS9539120B2Medical device suitable for location in a body lumen

Publication Date: 2017.01.10 VERYAN MEDICAL LTD

AI summary

A stent (1) for deployment in a blood vessel which is movable between an unloaded straight cylindrical state and a loaded curved state. The stent (1) is bendable between a first loaded configuration when the blood vessel is in the unloaded state, and a second loaded configuration when the blood vessel is in the loaded state. The stent (1) has an unloaded configuration which is intermediate the first loaded configuration and the second loaded configuration. Because of the unloaded configuration of the stent (1), the degrees of deformation which the stent (1) undergoes are minimized leading to minimized strains, increased fatigue life, and reduced risk of fracture.