Expandable devices
Expandable devices are disclosed herein. Several of the embodiments are directed towards an expandable device configured to be expanded within a conduit. The expandable device may comprise a tubular sidewall having first portions and second portions. Radial expansion of the expandable device may cause the first portions to bow outwardly and out of radial alignment with the second portions.
1 . An expandable device comprising:
a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration in which the expandable device is configured to be positioned in a conduit,
a plurality of spines and a plurality of struts, the spines extending along a longitudinal axis of the expandable device and the struts connecting adjacent spines, wherein:
the spines include a spine having first and second end portions, each of the first and second end portions branching into a first leg and a second leg,
the struts include a first strut, a second strut, a third strut, and a fourth strut, the first, second, third, and fourth struts being linear, wherein—
the first strut having first and second end portions, wherein the first end portion of the first strut is connected to the first end portion of the third strut,
the second strut having first and second end portions, wherein the second end portion of the second strut is connected to the second end portion of the fourth strut,
the first leg of the first end portion of the spine is connected to the first strut between the first and second end portions of the first strut,
the second leg of the first end portion of the spine is connected to the third strut between the first and second end portions of the third strut,
the first leg of the second end portion of the spine is connected to the second strut between the first and second end portions of the second strut,
the second leg of the second end portion of the spine is connected to the fourth strut between the first and second end portions of the fourth strut,
wherein radial expansion of the expandable device decreases a longitudinal distance between the first end portion of the first strut and the second end portion of the second strut, decreases a longitudinal distance between the first end portion of the third strut and the second end portion of the fourth strut, and decreases a longitudinal distance between the first and second end portions of the spine, thereby causing the spine to buckle out of radial alignment with the first, second, third, and fourth struts.
2 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth struts are substantially linear in the collapsed configuration and in the expanded configuration.
3 . The expandable device of claim 2 , wherein each first end portion and each second end portion of the first, second, third, and fourth struts comprises a flexible joint.
4 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein, when the expandable device is in the collapsed configuration, the first, second, third, and fourth struts are substantially parallel to the spine.
5 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the second end portion of the first strut and the first end portion of the second strut are fixed relative to one another at a node.
6 . The expandable device of claim 5 , wherein the spine is a first spine and the expandable device further comprises a second spine having first and second end portions, each of the first and second end portions branching into a first leg and a second leg, a fifth strut having first and second end portions, and a sixth strut having first and second end portions, and wherein—
the second end portion of the fifth strut is coupled to the node,
the first end portion of the sixth strut is coupled to the node,
the second leg of the first end portion of the second spine is connected to the fifth strut at a linear portion of the fifth strut between the first and second end portions of the fifth strut,
the second leg of the second end portion of the second spine is connected to the sixth strut at a linear portion of the fifth strut between the first and second end portions of the sixth strut, and
radial expansion of the expandable device decreases a longitudinal distance between the first end portion of the fifth strut and the second end portion of the sixth strut, and decreases a longitudinal distance between the first and second end portions of the second spine, thereby causing the second spine to buckle out of radial alignment with the fifth and sixth struts.
7 . The expandable device of claim 6 , wherein, when the expandable device is in the collapsed configuration, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth struts are substantially parallel to the first and second spines.
8 . The expandable device of claim 6 , wherein, when the expandable device is in the expanded configuration, the first, second, fifth and sixth struts angle away from the first and second spines, thereby forming an X where the node is at the intersection of the X.
9 . The expandable device of claim 6 , wherein, when the expandable device is in an expanded configuration, the node, the first strut, the second strut, the fifth strut, and the sixth strut are substantially radially aligned at a first radial location and the first and second spines are radially offset from the first radial location and disposed at a second radial location.
10 . The expandable device of claim 6 , wherein the second end portion of the fifth strut and the first end portion of the sixth strut are fixed relative to one another at the node.
11 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the expandable device is configured to be expanded via expansion of an actuator positioned within a central lumen of the expandable device.
12 . The expandable device of claim 1 , further comprising a valve coupled to the expandable device.
13 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the expandable device comprises a superelastic material.
14 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the connections between at least some of the struts and spines are hinges.
15 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the conduit is a pipe.
16 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the expandable device is configured to be expanded within another expandable device.
17 . The expandable device of claim 1 , further comprising a tubular membrane bonded to at least some of the struts defining an inner lumen of the expandable device, at least some of the spines defining the inner lumen of the expandable device, or at least some of the struts and at least some of the spines defining the inner lumen of the expandable device.
18 . The expandable device of claim 1 , further comprising a tubular membrane bonded to at least some portions of some of the spines defining an outer lumen of the expandable device.
19 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the expandable device has been heat set at an intermediate expanded configuration, the intermediate expanded configuration having a diameter between a diameter of the expandable device in the collapsed configuration and a diameter of the expandable device in a fully expanded configuration.
20 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the expandable device has been heat set at a fully expanded configuration.
21 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the expandable device comprises a material that has been heat set.
22 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the conduit is configured to receive petroleum therethrough.
23 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the conduit is a tubular support structure.
24 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the conduit is an opening in a wall.
25 . The expandable device of claim 1 , wherein the conduit is an opening in a support structure.
26 . A method comprising:
providing an expandable device, the expandable device comprising:
a sidewall formed of a plurality of interconnected structural members including spines and struts, the struts extending between the spines, wherein:
the spines include a spine having first and second end portions, each of the first and second end portions branching into a first leg and a second leg,
the struts include a first strut, a second strut, a third strut, and a fourth strut, the first, second, third, and fourth struts being linear, wherein—
the first strut having first and second end portions, wherein the first end portion of the first strut is connected to the first end portion of the third strut,
the second strut having first and second end portions, wherein the second end portion of the second strut is connected to the second end portion of the fourth strut,
the first leg of the first end portion of the spine is connected to the first strut between the first and second end portions of the first strut,
the second leg of the first end portion of the spine is connected to the third strut between the first and second end portions of the third strut,
the first leg of the second end portion of the spine is connected to the second strut between the first and second end portions of the second strut, and
the second leg of the second end portion of the spine is connected to the fourth strut between the first and second end portions of the fourth strut;
increasing an arc length between circumferentially adjacent spines, thereby decreasing a longitudinal distance between the first end portions of longitudinally adjacent strut and increasing a circumferential distance between the second end portions of the longitudinally adjacent struts, wherein the first end portions of the longitudinally adjacent struts are coupled to a same one of the spines, and wherein the same one of the spines comprises a buckling region between the first end portions of the longitudinally adjacent struts;
longitudinally compressing the spines by decreasing the longitudinal distance between the first end portions of the longitudinally adjacent struts; and
forcing the buckling regions of the spines to bow out of radial alignment with the struts and other regions of the spines, thereby forming arched protrusions along the sidewall of the expandable device.
27 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising positioning the expandable device in a conduit in a collapsed configuration, and wherein—
when the expandable device is in the collapsed configuration, the spines and the struts together define a main lumen of the expandable device, and wherein the method further comprises (a) actuating an actuator within the main lumen to expand the expandable device within the conduit, thereby substantially blocking fluid flow through the main lumen of the expandable device, and (b) creating an annular lumen around the main lumen, thereby allowing fluid flow through the annular lumen while the actuator is blocking fluid flow through the main lumen.
28 . The method of claim 26 , wherein, when the expandable device is in a collapsed configuration, the spines and the struts together define a main lumen of the expandable device, wherein the method further comprises expanding an actuator within the main lumen to increase the circumferential arc length between adjacent spines.
29 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising creating an annular lumen between (a) portions of the arched protrusions that are radially farthest from the central longitudinal axis of the expandable device and (b) the struts and other regions of the spines.
30 . The method of claim 26 , wherein, when the expandable device is in a collapsed configuration, the spines and the struts are substantially the same radial distance from a central longitudinal axis of the expandable device and together define a main lumen of the expandable device.
31 . The method of claim 26 , wherein, when the expandable device is in the expanded configuration, (a) the struts and the other regions of the spines are a first radial distance from the central longitudinal axis, and (b) the buckling regions of the spines are a second radial distance from the central longitudinal axis different than the first radial distance.
32 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the expandable device is configured to be expanded within another expandable device.