Vascular Anchoring System Self-Aligning Bifurcation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Positioning and maintaining implants in vascular areas, especially bifurcated vasculatures, is challenging due to unintended movement, which can lead to misalignment and undesirable consequences, particularly when the implant is sectioned into portions that need to be positioned relative to each other.
Innovation Solution
A vascular anchoring system with self-aligning and self-expanding anchoring trunk members and branch members that are flexible and compliant to the vessel wall, allowing for unobstructed fluid flow and accommodation of variations in vessel size and shape, ensuring stable positioning and alignment within the vascular trunk and branches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the implant is sectioned into portions for insertion within vascular areas, then the ease of insertion is improved, but the stability of positioning and alignment between portions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is divided into multiple sections that can be inserted separately through catheters into the vascular system. Each section is designed to self-align and connect to form a complete structure, resolving the contradiction by enabling easy insertion of individual segments while maintaining final structural stability through self-aligning connection mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Connection elements act as intermediaries between the separated implant portions, facilitating both the insertion process and the final stable alignment. These intermediaries enable the sections to be inserted independently while ensuring proper positioning and connection once deployed in the vascular area.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the implant is made flexible and compliant to accommodate vessel variations, then the adaptability to vessel size and shape is improved, but the precision of positioning and alignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The implant incorporates dynamic elements that allow it to adapt to varying vessel dimensions and shapes while maintaining precise positioning. The flexible structure can deform to match vessel geometry, yet the self-aligning connection mechanisms ensure accurate relative positioning of sections during and after deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant utilizes materials and structures that can change their physical parameters (such as rigidity or shape) in response to the vascular environment. This allows the implant to be inserted in a flexible state, adapt to vessel variations, and then maintain stable positioning once deployed, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and positioning precision.
Data Source
AI summary
As described herein vascular anchoring systems are used to position an implant in a vascular area such as a bifurcated vasculature with relatively high fluid flow, for instance, in an area of a pulmonary artery with associated left and right pulmonary arteries. Implementations include an anchoring trunk member having a first anchoring trunk section and a second anchoring trunk section. Further implementations include a first anchoring branch member extending from the anchoring trunk member. Still further implementations include a second anchoring branch member extending from the anchoring trunk member.