Stent Anchoring with Movable Radial Flanges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical stents face challenges with migration in body lumens due to peristalsis, particularly in fragile or diseased states of organs, where traditional anchor structures can cause further damage during deployment and removal.
Innovation Solution
A medical stent design featuring an elongate tubular body with a radially extending flange at the proximal end and movable elongate anchors at the distal end, which transition from a delivery configuration to a deployment configuration to securely anchor the stent in place without causing additional damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional anchor structures are used to prevent stent migration, then stent stability is improved, but tissue damage occurs during deployment and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor structure transitions from a static configuration during delivery to a dynamic deployed state. The anchors are movable from a delivery configuration where they are retracted or folded, to a deployment configuration where they extend radially outward to engage with the bodily structure, providing stable anchoring while minimizing tissue damage during insertion and removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The distal end region is segmented into multiple independent elongate anchors that can move individually between delivery and deployment configurations. This segmentation allows each anchor to be constrained during delivery for easy insertion, then deployed independently to provide distributed anchoring points that stabilize the stent without requiring large single structures that would cause more tissue damage.
2Ease of operation
If compressible and flexible properties are enhanced for stent delivery, then ease of delivery is improved, but stent migration tendency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stent employs dynamic anchor structures that can transition between compressed/retracted states during delivery (enabling easy passage through body lumens) and extended/anchored states after deployment (preventing migration). The anchors are movable from a delivery configuration to a deployment configuration, allowing the stent to adapt its mechanical properties based on the operational phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor structures are pre-configured in a delivery state that facilitates easy insertion, then automatically transition to an anchored state upon deployment. The elongate anchors are designed to be constrained during delivery and then move into an deployment configuration where they engage with the bodily structure, providing pre-prepared anchoring points that activate when needed without requiring additional intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical stent includes an elongate tubular body extending from a proximal end region to a distal end region. The proximal end region defines a radially extending flange that is adapted to secure the elongate tubular body relative to a first bodily structure. The distal end region defines two or more elongate anchors movable from a delivery configuration to a deployment configuration in which the two or more elongate anchors extend radially outwardly from the elongate tubular body, the two or more elongate anchors adapted to secure the elongate tubular body relative to a second bodily structure when in the deployment configuration.