shell lace stent
shell lace stent
self-expandable, flexed and inverted,
unfurling as a singular calla lily would
the stent is inserted and bears against the airway
Shortlisted, RIBA Awards 2021
US Patent Granted
European Patent Pending
Tracheal stents are commonly used to support transplants of the trachea and to treat collapsed airways in instances of throat cancer, trauma, and for the elderly. Stents are typically manufactured as a non-tailored tubular mesh, which due to poor fit makes them prone to slippage, causing injuries and infection and often requiring frequent replacement.
The innovative Shell Lace Stent is c-shaped rather than tubular, so that its geometry can
better adapt to the unique physiology of the patient. It is designed to be manufactured from medical grade silicon, with a perforated surface allowing breathability and drug-delivery to the trachea tissues.
X-ray location
The Shell Lace Stent is inserted in its inverted position, and then unfurled to provide a flexible and strong fit, with a natural outward pressure that lessens the risk of migration - a feature designed after analysing the geometric principles of calla lily petals.
“Remarkable and unprecedented stent invention that is groundbreaking in the context of currently available devices”
- Prof Martin Birchall, UCL Professor of Laryngology and Consultant in ENT Surgery at the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital
use medical device
status granted us patent (us 11,147,697)
pending european patent application (ep 3 558 173)