Transformable Mold for Aneurysm Coil Three-Dimensional Shaping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for producing in-vivo indwelling members with three-dimensional shapes, such as those for treating wide-neck aneurysms, face challenges in ensuring stable placement and preventing protrusion due to inadequate fit with the bulge's inner surface, often resulting in damage during the winding process and poor workability.

Innovation Solution

A mold with a transformable member that can switch between assembled and unfolded states, featuring an outer and inner portion connected to hold a primary coil, allowing for easy arrangement and transformation into a three-dimensional shape without winding around a core, ensuring a stable fit within the bulge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a helical secondary coil with uniform diameter is used, then the coil can be easily produced, but the pressing force against the inner wall surface of the bulge is reduced and the coil cannot remain within the bulge

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of productionVSAvoidstability of coil placement

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The secondary coil is designed with variable diameter along its axial direction, where the diameter is smaller at the distal end and larger at the proximal end. This local variation in geometry allows the coil to exert sufficient pressing force against the inner wall surface of the bulge while maintaining ease of production through a systematic forming process using a mold with varying cross-sectional area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If a complicated three-dimensional structure different from helical shape is used, then the secondary coil can fit the inner wall surface of the bulge, but the primary coil may be damaged upon winding and the work becomes complicated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of coil placementVSAvoidcomplexity of production process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mold is prepared in advance with a specific three-dimensional shape that has a smaller cross-sectional area at one end and a larger cross-sectional area at the other end. The primary coil is simply inserted into this pre-formed mold cavity, and the mold's shape is transferred to the coil through heat fixation, eliminating the need for complex winding operations and reducing the risk of damage to the primary coil.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The traditional mechanical winding process that requires careful manipulation and ordering of the primary coil around a core is replaced by a thermal forming process. The primary coil is heated to a plastic state and then pressed against the mold's three-dimensional surface, allowing the shape to be imprinted without complex mechanical winding operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If the primary coil is wound around a core to form a complicated three-dimensional structure, then the secondary coil can fit the bulge shape, but the primary coil may be damaged and workability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of coil placementVSAvoidworkability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of actively winding the primary coil around a core to form the three-dimensional shape, the method inverts the approach by having the coil passively conform to a pre-formed mold cavity. The mold provides the three-dimensional structure, and the heated primary coil adapts to this structure through pressing and heat fixation, simplifying the operation and improving workability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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 solution enables the production of in-vivo indwelling members with complex three-dimensional structures that securely fit within aneurysms, reducing the risk of protrusion and improving workability by allowing precise arrangement and heat fixation of the secondary shape, thus enhancing stability and mass production quality.

Implementation Method 1

heating the primary coil to a plastic state, and pressing the heated primary coil against a mold

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat: Heating

Implementation Method 2

pressing the heated primary coil against a mold having a three-dimensional shape

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Data Source

PatentUS10688550B2Mold for use in producing in-vivo indwelling member and method for producing in-vivo indwelling member by using said mold

Publication Date: 2020.06.23 KANEKA CORP

AI summary

A mold for use in producing an in-vivo indwelling member having a linear primary coil formed in a three-dimensional shape includes a transformable member transformable between an assembled state and an unfolded state, the transformable member has, in the assembled state, an outer portion that is arranged at an outer side and an inner portion that is arranged at an inner side of the outer portion, with being connected to the outer portion, and the outer portion and the inner portion have holding portions for holding the primary coil. The mold makes it possible to easily produce an in-vivo indwelling member having a three-dimensional shape that allows the in-vivo indwelling member to be stably arranged within a bulge such as an aneurysm.