Stent Link Sections for Trackability and Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-expandable stents face challenges with trackability and expansion-retaining force within deformable blood vessels, requiring improved compressibility and expansion properties.
Innovation Solution
A stent design featuring a plurality of annular bodies linked by various bent link sections, including vertex-vertex, central part-central part, central part-vertex, and vertex-central part bent link sections, which allows for flexibility and sufficient expansion-retaining force, enhancing trackability and compressibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If self-expandable stents are made with traditional annular bodies and connectors, then the stent structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the trackability and expansion-retaining force within deformable blood vessels are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is divided into multiple annular bodies (first, second, third annular bodies) with different structural characteristics. Each annular body contains specific bent sections (one-end-side bent sections and other-end-side bent sections) that provide localized flexibility and expansion capability. This segmentation allows different parts of the stent to perform different functions, improving overall trackability and expansion-retaining force.
Solution Approach 2:
Different link sections are designed with specific bending configurations (vertex-vertex bent link sections, central part-central part bent link sections, central part-vertex bent link sections, vertex-central part bent link sections) to provide localized mechanical properties. These link sections connect corresponding bent sections of adjacent annular bodies, creating zones of enhanced flexibility and expansion capability where needed while maintaining structural integrity elsewhere.
2Ease of operation
If the stent is compressed for insertion into blood vessels, then the stent can be introduced through small access points, but the compression may reduce expansion-retaining force
Solution Approach 1:
The stent structure incorporates multiple bent sections and link sections that are designed to dynamically respond to compression and expansion forces. During compression for insertion, the bent sections can deform elastically while maintaining their structural configuration. Upon deployment, the stent dynamically transitions from a compressed state to an expanded state, with the link sections facilitating smooth morphing between configurations while maintaining expansion-retaining force.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent utilizes changes in geometric parameters of the bent sections and link sections to achieve compression and expansion. The bent sections have specific curvature radii and angles that allow them to compress to small dimensions for insertion while maintaining the structural integrity needed for expansion. The link sections connect these bent sections in a way that preserves the overall structural parameters needed for expansion-retaining force even when compressed.
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 stent achieves good compressibility, expansion-retaining force, and trackability within deformable blood vessels, ensuring effective deployment and functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a self-expandable stent is formed from a material having shape memory properties, and is produced in the size of an expanded final shape
Data Source
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AI summary
A stent includes a plurality of annular bodies arrayed in an axial direction, each having a plurality of one-end-side bent sections and other-end-side bent sections, and adjacent ones of the annular bodies being linked by link sections. The stent includes at least three kinds of link sections selected from four kinds of link sections including: a vertex-vertex bent link section; a central part-central part bent link section; a central part-vertex bent link section; and a vertex-central part bent link section, the at least three kinds of the link sections including at least the vertex-vertex bent link section and the central part-central part bent link section, and the adjacent annular bodies being linked by at least two different kinds of the link sections.