Stent With Wavy Annular Members and Shared Linear Portions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stents face challenges in maintaining a uniform and sufficient expansive force without connection portions that could interfere with curvature or deteriorate the stent's performance, especially when implanted in curved blood vessels.
Innovation Solution
The stent design features a configuration of wavy annular members with sharing linear portions that integrate adjacent members, eliminating traditional connection points and ensuring a uniform expansive force, while allowing for flexibility and stability in curved environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional connection portions are used to connect wavy annular members, then the stent structure is easier to manufacture, but the connection portions cause strain concentration and interfere with curvature in blood vessels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the connection function with the wavy annular members themselves by making them share common linear portions. Instead of separate connection portions, adjacent wavy annular members directly share segments of each other, eliminating distinct connection points while maintaining structural integrity and allowing uniform expansion throughout the stent.
2Stability of the object's composition
If connection portions are added to connect elements, then the structural stability is improved, but the expansive force becomes non-uniform and strain concentration occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The connection function is merged into the wavy annular members through shared linear portions, creating a continuous load path that distributes expansive force uniformly across all members without creating stress concentration points at separate connection locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent structure achieves homogeneity in its mechanical properties by eliminating distinct connection portions. All segments of the stent have similar structural characteristics and material composition, ensuring uniform expansive force distribution and consistent performance throughout the entire stent length.
3Ease of manufacture
If the stent is made with multiple separate elements connected by connectors, then the ease of assembly is improved, but the device complexity increases and uniformity of expansion is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces device complexity by merging multiple separate elements into a more integrated structure where wavy annular members share common linear portions. This eliminates the need for separate connectors while maintaining the modular benefits of multiple elements, achieving a balance between assembly ease and structural simplicity.
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 provides a stent with a consistent and high expansive force, preventing strain concentration at connection points and ensuring stability and functionality in curved blood vessels, enhancing its performance and durability.
Implementation Method 1
The self-expandable stent is made of an elastic material. The final size of the self-expandable stent is set when it is expanded.
Data Source
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AI summary
A stent (1) to be implanted in an organism includes a plurality of wavy annular members (2) arranged in an axial direction thereof. Each of the wavy annular members (2) has a plurality of one-end side bent portions each having an apex (2a) at a one-end side of the stent (1) in the axial direction thereof and a plurality of other-end side bent portions each having an apex (2b) at an other-end side of the stent (1) in the axial direction thereof. In the wavy annular members disposed adjacently to each other in the axial direction of the stent, the wavy annular members (2) disposed at the one-end side of the stent in the axial direction thereof have sharing, overlapping linear portions (21) having a start point (22) at the apex (2b) of one of the other-end side bent portions thereof or in the vicinity of the apex (2b) and a termination point (23) between the apex (2b) of the other-end side bent portion thereof and the apex (2a) of one of the one-end side bent portions thereof. The sharing linear portion (21) integrates the adjacent wavy annular members with each other.