Twisted Stent Laser Activation for Vascular Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current stent deployment methods face challenges in efficiently and accurately positioning and expanding stents within vascular stenosis, particularly in navigating complex vascular geometries and ensuring precise expansion without causing further damage.
Innovation Solution
A stent delivery device featuring a twisted stent design with a helical pattern and a stent engagement area on the inner carrier catheter, which allows for radial collapse and expansion, combined with a method of deploying the stent using a laser to trigger shape memory configuration at body temperature, facilitating precise placement and expansion within the vascular system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stent is made from a non-shape memory material and installed on a balloon catheter, then the stent can be deformed and moved to an expanded configuration by inflating the balloon, but the procedural complexity increases and the risk of causing further damage to the vessel increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical balloon inflation system with a laser-based thermal activation system. The stent is activated by laser energy at a specific wavelength that triggers the shape memory effect, eliminating the need for balloon catheters and mechanical deformation, thereby reducing procedural complexity and potential vessel damage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the activation parameter from mechanical pressure (balloon inflation) to optical energy (laser wavelength). The stent material is designed to respond to specific laser wavelengths by undergoing a phase transition that triggers expansion, providing a more precise and controlled deployment mechanism
2Ease of operation
If a stent is made from a shape memory material and activated by body temperature, then the deployment procedure is simplified, but the precision of stent positioning and expansion control is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces laser energy as an intermediary between the operator and the stent activation process. The laser provides remote, precise control over stent expansion timing and location, allowing the stent to remain in a compressed state during navigation and then expand precisely when and where needed, combining ease of navigation with precise positioning control
Solution Approach 2:
The stent is pre-programmed with shape memory properties that respond to specific laser wavelengths. The stent is first navigated to the target location in a compressed state, then activated by laser exposure at the precise moment and location needed, allowing preliminary positioning followed by controlled expansion
3Ease of operation
If a twisted stent design with helical pattern is used, then the stent can be easily collapsed and expanded, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a helical/twisted geometry in the stent structure that allows the struts to naturally collapse and expand through rotational movement. This curved, helical configuration enables mechanical advantage during deployment while the laser activation provides the energy input needed to initiate the shape memory transformation, balancing manufacturing complexity with operational ease
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
Enables efficient and accurate deployment of stents in vascular stenosis, reducing procedural complexity and improving stent positioning, with the ability to maintain the stent in a stable expanded configuration within the artery.
Implementation Method 1
a method of deploying the stent using a laser to trigger shape memory configuration at body temperature
Implementation Method 2
A stent is disclosed and can include a stent body having a longitudinal axis. The stent can be movable between a compressed configuration and an expanded configuration that corresponds to a shape memory configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A stent is disclosed and can include a stent body having a longitudinal axis. The stent body can also have a network of struts that can define a plurality of cells defined between interconnected struts. Each of the plurality of cells includes a major axis that is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis to form a cell angle, β.