Thoracic Aorta Stent Graft With Recessed Fenestrations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stent grafts deployed in the thoracic aorta face challenges in aligning fenestrations with corresponding great vessels, making it difficult to access these vessels for continued blood supply during treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms.
Innovation Solution
A stent graft design with zigzag stents and diamond-shaped regions, featuring recesses and fenestrations, allows for precise alignment and placement in the thoracic arch, enabling blood flow to major vessels and facilitating guide wire insertion for catheterization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stent graft is deployed into the thoracic aorta around the arch, then the aneurysm can be treated and blood flow can be redirected through the stent graft, but the fenestrations may not be aligned precisely with the corresponding great vessels, making it difficult to access these vessels for continued blood supply
Solution Approach 1:
The stent graft is divided into multiple segments including a proximal portion, intermediate portion, and distal portion. The intermediate portion contains diamond-shaped regions with fenestrations that can be independently accessed. This segmentation allows the device to maintain overall structural integrity while providing localized access points to great vessels without requiring precise alignment of the entire stent graft with the arch vessels.
2Reliability
If the stent graft is positioned to treat the aneurysm in the thoracic arch region, then the aneurysm can be excluded from blood flow, but it becomes difficult to catheterise the fenestrations through the corresponding vessels due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The diamond-shaped regions act as intermediary structures that facilitate access to the fenestrations. These regions create enlarged access pathways that can be reached through the brachial or carotid arteries even when the stent graft is positioned to treat the aneurysm effectively. The diamond shape provides a geometric intermediary that bridges the gap between the delivery catheter and the fenestration openings.
3Ease of operation
If fenestrations are provided in the stent graft to allow blood supply to great vessels, then blood flow can be maintained to these vessels, but the fenestrations require precise alignment with the vessels which is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The stent graft incorporates diamond-shaped regions with specific local geometric properties that differ from the rest of the tubular body. These diamond-shaped regions create localized enlarged access pathways with different dimensional characteristics than the main stent graft body. This local quality change allows the fenestrations to be accessed more easily through the brachial or carotid arteries without requiring precise alignment of the entire device with the great vessels.
Data Source
AI summary
A stent graft for placement in a vessel of a patient, the stent graft that has a tubular body of graft material, the tubular body having a proximal inflow end, a distal outflow end, a main lumen therethrough, a longitudinal access, and a sidewall from the first end to the second end. At least one stent is along the length of the tubular body. One or more shaped recesses are formed of a concave or recessed portion of graft material that extends into the lumen of the stent graft. A fenestration is in the recessed portion with a fenestration and an internal branch extends from the or each fenestration toward the proximal end of the tubular body of graft material. The internal branch may have a tubular portion and a funnel portion, wherein the tubular portion extends into the main lumen and the enlarged funnel portion is attached to sidewall and forms the at least one shaped recess.