Wave Patterned Braided Tubular Structure for Radial Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tubular structures used in medical and non-medical applications lack sufficient radial strength, collapse resistance, and kink resistance while maintaining a thin profile, which is crucial for devices that need to be delivered through small diameters and expand self-sufficiently after deployment.
Innovation Solution
A tubular structure is created using a braiding process where the mandrel is rotated during braiding, resulting in a wave pattern with crests and troughs along the tubular structure, enhancing radial strength, collapse resistance, torque transmission, and kink resistance without increasing wall thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If wall thickness is increased to improve radial strength and collapse resistance, then structural strength is improved, but device flexibility and ability to navigate small diameters deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wave pattern dimension to the braid structure, transforming the traditional flat braid into a three-dimensional undulating configuration. This dimensional change allows the braid to achieve enhanced radial strength through the wave geometry without requiring increased wall thickness, thereby maintaining device flexibility for navigation through small vasculature.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved wave patterns with specific amplitudes and wavelengths in the braid structure. These curvature elements create geometric reinforcement that improves radial strength and collapse resistance while keeping the overall wall thickness reduced, allowing the device to maintain both strength and flexibility.
2Strength
If wall thickness is increased to improve collapse resistance, then structural strength is improved, but device profile and patient trauma worsen
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing the wave pattern dimension to the braid structure, the patent achieves enhanced collapse resistance through geometric configuration rather than increased material volume. The wave geometry provides structural reinforcement that resists collapse while maintaining a reduced device profile for minimal patient trauma.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional braiding without mandrel rotation is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but radial strength and kink resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic mandrel rotation during the braiding process, transforming the static braiding operation into a dynamic one. The mandrel rotates at controlled speeds to create the wave pattern, which enhances radial strength and kink resistance. This dynamic approach maintains manufacturing simplicity by integrating rotation into the existing braiding process rather than requiring complex post-processing.
4Ease of manufacture
If uniform braid pattern is used throughout, then manufacturing consistency is maintained, but ability to meet varying performance requirements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables different wave pattern characteristics (amplitude, wavelength, frequency) to be applied to different sections of the braid. This allows specific performance requirements to be met in different device regions - for example, higher radial strength where needed, or greater flexibility in other areas - while maintaining manufacturing consistency through controlled mandrel rotation variations.
Data Source
AI summary
A tubular structure and method for making a tubular structure are provided, where the tubular structure includes at least one layer of braided strands. In general, at least one portion of the braided strands exhibits a braid pattern of crests and troughs (e.g., a wave pattern, which may include sinusoidal, square, and/or sawtooth waves) along a length of the tubular structure. The wave pattern can be created by rotating the mandrel onto which the tubular structure is braided during the braiding process, such as by angularly oscillating the mandrel about its longitudinal axis or about its transverse axis. As a result, the tubular structures may have increased radial strength, collapse resistance, torque transmission, column strength, and kink resistance. The tubular structures may be used in medical devices, such as stent-grafts, as well as in other medical and non-medical devices, such as in hoses, tubing, filters, and other devices.