Wedge Wire Maintaining Branch Vessel Patency During Stent Expansion

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Solution Overview

Problem

The 'kissing balloon' technique used for stent placement at vessel bifurcations often causes damage to the branch vessel due to balloon expansion, leading to increased risk of renarrowing.

Innovation Solution

A wedge wire with a thicker wedge portion is used to maintain patency of the branch vessel during stent expansion, eliminating the need for a second balloon and reducing vessel damage by positioning the wedge through the stent sidewall into the branch vessel.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the kissing balloon technique is used to expand the stent in the main vessel, then the stent can be enlarged to maintain vessel patency, but the branch vessel suffers damage due to balloon expansion against its sidewall

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestent expansion forceVSAvoidbranch vessel damage

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A protective sheath is introduced as an intermediary element that selectively covers the branch vessel opening during stent expansion. The sheath prevents direct contact between the expanding balloon and the branch vessel sidewall, thereby protecting the branch vessel from mechanical damage while still allowing the main vessel stent to expand effectively. The sheath is subsequently removed after the procedure to restore normal blood flow to the branch vessel.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a second balloon is used to protect the branch vessel during stent expansion, then branch vessel patency is maintained, but the device complexity and procedural difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebranch vessel patencyVSAvoidnumber of balloons and guide wires

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective function previously requiring a separate balloon and guide wire system is merged into a single integrated protective sheath that is delivered over the first guide wire. This consolidation reduces the number of discrete components (eliminating the need for a second balloon and its associated guide wire) while maintaining the essential function of protecting the branch vessel during stent expansion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The protective sheath serves multiple functions: it protects the branch vessel from balloon expansion damage, maintains branch vessel patency during the procedure, and can be easily deployed and removed. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for specialized second balloon systems, simplifying the overall procedure while achieving the same protective goals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9498362B2Wedge wire for use with a narrowed bifurcation vessel

Publication Date: 2016.11.22 PEARCE COLIN

AI summary

A wedge wire for maintaining the patency of an opening to a branch vessel while installing a stent in a main branch of a narrowed bifurcated vessel is provided. The wedge wire has a wedge portion that is larger than the rest of the body of the wedge wire and this wedge portion is used to maintain patency of the branch vessel when a balloon catheter is used to expand a stent in the main branch across the opening of the second branch.