Valve Stent Triangular Unit Structure Prevents Piercing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing valve stents with rhombic unit structures often form sharp vertices that can pierce sheaths or blood vessel walls during deployment and retraction, causing damage and instability, especially when compressed for complex anatomical paths.
Innovation Solution
A valve stent design featuring a tubular supporting net frame with flared sections connected to all end nodes, eliminating isolated rhombic vertices and preventing spine formation upon compression, while maintaining mechanical properties through a transition section that reduces axial length change and adapts to different valve structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a rhombic unit structure is used to ensure compressibility, then the valve stent can be compressed for complex anatomical paths, but isolated sharp rhombic vertices are formed that can pierce sheaths or blood vessel walls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful isolated rhombic vertices from the structure by transitioning to a triangular unit structure where all vertices are connected to three or more other vertices, removing the source of piercing risk while preserving compressibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different structural characteristics to different parts of the valve stent by using triangular unit structures that provide uniform vertex connectivity throughout, creating localized safety zones at potential vertex locations while maintaining overall structural integrity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If flared sections are added to the end portion to match blood vessel wall and prevent piercing, then the blood vessel wall protection is improved, but some isolated rhombic vertices may be exposed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the source of exposed vertices by using a triangular unit structure that inherently connects all vertices to three or more other vertices, preventing the formation of isolated vertices that could be exposed by flared sections
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the triangular unit structure specifically in regions where vertex connectivity is critical, ensuring that all vertices maintain three or more connections while allowing flared sections to provide blood vessel wall protection without exposing isolated vertices
3Ease of operation
If the valve stent is compressed inwards a sheath pipe for complex anatomical paths, then the valve can reach the target location, but the isolated rhombic vertices become spines that can stab or pierce the sheath pipe
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the source of spine formation by eliminating isolated rhombic vertices through the use of triangular unit structures where all vertices are connected to three or more other vertices, preventing spine formation during compression and deployment
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 design ensures safe deployment and retraction by preventing sheath damage and maintaining structural integrity, allowing for successful valve placement and operation without piercing or excessive resistance, while reducing material usage and enhancing adaptability for bending.
Implementation Method 1
a compressible valve stent... During the use process of the valve stent... When a valve stent is compressed inwards a sheath pipe... in the subsequent process of releasing valve
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
A valve stent comprises a tubular supporting net frame (12) and a flared section (1) connected to a corresponding end of the supporting net frame (12). The flared section (1) is connected to all end nodes (9) located at a corresponding side of the supporting net frame (12). A section of the supporting net frame (12) is a transition section (3), and a ratio of an axial length of the transition section (3) before being compressed to an axial length of the transition section (3) after being compressed is 1.