Adjustable bent catheter

Abstract

The invention provides an adjustable bent catheter, and belongs to the technical field of interventional operation medical equipment. The catheter comprises a catheter body and an operating handle, a bending adjusting section is arranged at the far end of the catheter body, a shaping component is arranged on one side of the bending adjusting section and used for enabling the bending adjusting section to be in a bending state in a natural state, the catheter body is provided with a variable-pressure channel extending in the axial direction, and the far end of the variable-pressure channel extends to be flush with the far end of the bending adjusting section. The near end is used for being filled with a filling medium so as to adjust the pressure in the variable-pressure channel. The operating handle is arranged at the near end of the catheter body and provided with a main channel and a branch channel which are used for being communicated with a catheter cavity of the catheter body and the variable-pressure channel respectively. During working, the variable-pressure channel is filled with a filling medium through the branch channel, and the filling medium is used for adjusting the pressure in the variable-pressure channel so as to adjust the bending degree of the bending adjusting section. The technical problems that in the prior art, a bending adjusting mechanism arranged on a bending adjusting guide pipe is complex in structure, large in machining difficulty, high in production cost and poor in practicability are mainly solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of interventional surgery medical equipment, and in particular relates to an adjustable curved catheter. Background Art

[0002] Catheters are essential instruments for interventional surgery, typically guided by a guidewire to the target site, establishing an intravascular pathway and providing a pathway for the delivery of other devices or drugs. Human blood vessels, such as those in the coronary, peripheral, and intracranial regions, are complex and tortuous. Conventional, non-adjustable catheters have a straight front end that cannot adapt well to the vascular morphology, resulting in poor positioning. Conventional, non-adjustable catheters may require doctors to use other instruments, such as lined guidewires and catheters, with continuous twisting, pushing, or retracting to reach the target site. This makes them difficult to use and operate, prolonging the surgery time and potentially damaging the vessel wall, posing unpredictable risks to the patient.

[0003] Existing bending-adjusting catheters typically utilize the deformation effect of polymer tubing under tension. For example, Chinese invention patents with application publication numbers CN 114681754 A and CN 115212425 A employ a pulling wire / traction wire to adjust the bend. The proximal end of the catheter typically requires connection to a dedicated handle for various precision mechanical mechanisms. This handle structure is complex, resulting in high production costs and significant manufacturing difficulty. Furthermore, it is inconvenient to integrate with other instruments during clinical use.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an improved technical solution to the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a bendable conduit to solve the technical problems in the prior art of the complex structure of the bend adjustment mechanism equipped on the bendable conduit, the difficulty in processing, the high production cost and the poor practicality.

[0006] In order to achieve the above objectives, the adjustable curved conduit of the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] An adjustable curved conduit, comprising:

[0008] A catheter body having a bend adjustment section at its distal end, a shaping component disposed on one side of the bend adjustment section for causing the bend adjustment section to assume a naturally curved state; and an axially extending pressure-changing channel having a distal end extending flush with the distal end of the bend adjustment section and a proximal end for being filled with a filling medium to adjust the pressure within the pressure-changing channel.

[0009] An operating handle is arranged at the proximal end of the catheter body. The operating handle has a main channel and a branch channel, which are respectively used to connect the lumen of the catheter body and the pressure-changing channel. When working, the filling medium is filled into the pressure-changing channel through the branch channel to adjust the pressure in the pressure-changing channel to achieve adjustment of the bending degree of the bending section.

[0010] As a further optimized technical solution, the voltage-changing channel and the shaping components are both linear.

[0011] As a further optimized technical solution, the voltage-changing channel and the shaping component are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the bending section.

[0012] As a further optimized technical solution, the shaping component is arranged at the inner side of the bending state of the bending adjustment section, and the pressure changing channel is arranged at the outer side of the bending state of the bending adjustment section.

[0013] As a further optimized technical solution, the shaping component is arranged at the outer side of the bending state of the bending adjustment section, and the voltage-changing channel is arranged at the inner side of the bending state of the bending adjustment section.

[0014] As a further optimized technical solution, the shaping component is a rod-shaped or sheet-shaped structure made of nickel-titanium alloy.

[0015] As a further optimized technical solution, the filling medium is gas and / or liquid, or a flowing gel.

[0016] As a further optimized technical solution, the distal end of the bending adjustment section has a buffer head end made of polymer material to reduce damage to blood vessels.

[0017] As a further optimized technical solution, the shaping component is embedded inside the side wall of the bending section.

[0018] As a further optimized technical solution, the operating handle has one branch channel.

[0019] Beneficial Effects: The adjustable bend catheter of the present invention uses a shaping component to naturally bend the bend section, while the variable pressure channel adjusts the internal pressure to achieve continuous adjustment of the bend angle of the bend section. Specifically, under normal conditions, the bend section bends to a specific angle under the influence of the shaping component. When a filling medium is injected into the variable pressure channel through a branch channel on the operating handle, the pressure on the bend section overcomes the shaping component's shaping force, reducing the degree of bending until it straightens, thus achieving the desired bend. Through the coordinated design of the shaping component and the variable pressure channel, the present invention achieves adjustable curvature of the distal end of the catheter body. Compared with traditional non-adjustable bend catheters, the use of adjustable bend catheters in complex vascular interventional surgeries is conducive to reaching the target site more conveniently and quickly, and can reduce vascular endothelial damage caused by repeated adjustments, reduce the difficulty of operation for doctors, and reduce the risk of thrombosis. Compared with existing bend-adjustable catheters that rely on traction wires, the present invention does not require a complex mechanical traction structure. The doctor only needs to control the pressure through a single branch channel of the operating handle to achieve flexible bending adjustment of the bend section. The operation time is significantly shortened and the surgical efficiency is greatly improved.

[0020] Furthermore, the operating handle utilizes a simple single-branch channel design, eliminating the complex pull-wire transmission mechanism and multi-channel control components found in conventional bending catheter handles. This significantly reduces the number of components, simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing assembly time, effectively lowering overall production costs. Furthermore, the handle facilitates integration with other instruments, enhancing its practicality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The drawings and the accompanying drawings, which constitute part of this application, are intended to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are intended to explain the present invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the present invention. Among them:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of Example 1 of the adjustable curved conduit of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic overall cross-sectional view of Example 1 of the adjustable bend conduit of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the bending section of the bendable conduit according to embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall straightening of the bending section of Example 1 of the adjustable bending catheter of the present invention.

[0026] In the figure: 100, catheter body; 110, bending section; 120, shaping component; 130, pressure-changing channel; 131, through hole; 140, buffer head end; 200, operating handle; 210, main channel; 220, branch channel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following is a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, the terms "longitudinal", "transverse", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and do not require that the present invention must be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention. The terms "connected" and "connected" used in the present invention should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can be fixedly connected or detachably connected; they can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate component. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances. In addition, the term "proximal end" refers to the end close to the operator, and "distal end" refers to the end away from the operator.

[0029] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with embodiments. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features of the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0030] The shapes and sizes of the components in the drawings do not reflect the actual proportions of the products, and are only intended to illustrate the contents of the present invention.

[0031] According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the present invention provides an adjustable bend catheter, which includes a catheter body 100 and an operating handle 200. A profile 120 is set on one side of the bend adjustment section 110 at the distal end of the catheter body 100, so that the bend adjustment section 110 is naturally curved. The variable pressure channel 130 on the catheter body 100 runs through the axial direction and can adjust the pressure by filling a filling medium such as gas and / or liquid. The operating handle 200 is provided at the proximal end of the catheter body 100, and the main channel 210 and branch channel 220 thereon respectively connect the lumen of the catheter body 100 with the variable pressure channel 130, thereby regulating the pressure of the variable pressure channel 130 to adjust the degree of curvature of the bend adjustment section 110. This adjustable bend catheter has excellent vascular adaptability and can significantly improve the success rate of catheter placement during interventional surgery and reduce the risk of vascular damage compared to traditional catheters. The operating handle has a simplified structure, low production cost, and simpler manufacturing process. At the same time, it improves surgical safety and reliability, and has extremely high clinical application value and market competitiveness.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, the adjustable bend catheter includes a catheter body 100 and an operating handle 200.

[0034] The catheter body 100 can be constructed using a single polymer layer or a multi-layer composite structure of polymer and metal layers, with the metal layers being constructed by braiding or winding metal wire. The proximal end of the catheter body is inserted into and sealedly connected to the operating handle 200, which communicates with the lumen of the catheter body 200.

[0035] The distal end of the catheter body 100 has a bending section 110. The bending section 110 has the same structure as the catheter body 100, has a certain elasticity and toughness, and can be deformed under certain internal and external forces. A straight-line shaping component 120 is embedded and fixed inside one side of the bending section 110. The shaping component 120 is a rod-shaped or sheet-shaped structure made of nickel-titanium alloy. The nickel-titanium alloy has a shape memory function. Its length is equal to the length of the bending section 110, and it is shaped into a specific curved shape by heat treatment. In the natural state, the bending section 110 of the catheter body 100 presents a certain curved shape under the action of the shaping component 120 that has been bent and shaped by heat treatment. The catheter body 100 has an axially extending straight-line pressure-changing channel 130. The distal end of the pressure-changing channel 130 extends to be flush with the distal end of the pressure-changing channel 110. This design ensures that pressure changes can accurately act on the bending section 110, and the proximal end is used to fill the filling medium to adjust the pressure in the pressure-changing channel 130.

[0036] The operating handle 200 is located at the proximal end of the catheter body 100. It has a main channel 210 and a branch channel 220, each of which connects the lumen of the catheter body 100 to the pressure-changing channel 130. During operation, a filling medium is introduced into the pressure-changing channel 130 through the branch channel 220 to adjust the pressure within the pressure-changing channel 130 and thereby adjust the curvature of the bending section 110.

[0037] In this embodiment, the branch channel 220 of the operating handle 200 has one. During installation, the catheter body 100 needs to be inserted as a whole into the main channel 210 of the operating handle 200, so that the branch channel 220 is arranged opposite to the pressure-changing channel 130. The pressure-changing channel 130 is provided with a through hole 131 at a position opposite to the branch channel 220, so that the pressure-changing channel 130 is connected with the branch channel 220 through the through hole 131.

[0038] Further, in the present scheme, as long as the pressure in the pressure changing channel 130 is changed, the shape memory effect of the shaping part 120 can be overcome, thus the relative position of the pressure changing channel 130 and the shaping part 120 is not particularly limited, but when the pressure changing channel 130 and the shaping part 120 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the bending section 110, the adjustment effect of the pressure changing channel 130 is the best. At this time, the symmetric arrangement makes the bending section 110 form a stable mechanical structure when stressed. When the pressure changing channel 130 is filled with the filling medium and the pressure increases, the pressure changing channel 130 on one side of the bending section 110 generates an outward expansion thrust; at the same time, the shaping part 120 on the other side provides a reverse supporting force by virtue of its shape memory characteristics and structural strength. The two forces balance each other, making the bending section 110 stressed evenly during bending, avoiding unstable conditions such as distortion and deflection caused by uneven stress, thereby ensuring that the catheter can change the bending angle stably as expected, providing reliable guidance for surgical operation.

[0039] In the present embodiment, the shaping part 120 is arranged at the inner side position of the bending section 110 in the curved state, and the pressure changing channel 130 is arranged at the outer side position of the bending section 110 in the curved state.

[0040] In this way, when adjusting, Figure 1 and Figure 2 the bending section 110 curved in the natural state shown in the above-mentioned figures is injected with the filling medium into the branch channel 220 of the operating handle 200, the filling medium passes through the through hole 131 and enters the pressure changing channel 130 at the outer side position of the curved state, and then the bending section 110 is gradually "pulled" straight under the pressure of the filling medium, overcoming the shape memory characteristics of the shaping part 120, and the bending angle gradually decreases, as shown in Figure 3 and finally, after reaching a certain pressure, the shape memory effect of the nickel-titanium rod is completely offset, and the bending section 110 is in a straightened state (bending angle of 0°), as shown in Figure 4 When the pressure of the filling medium is gradually reduced, the bending section 110 will recover from the straightened state (bending angle of 0°) to the natural state under the shape memory effect of the shaping part 120, and the bending angle gradually increases.

[0041] Further, the filling medium can be a gas, a liquid, or a mixture of gas and liquid or a flowing gel.

[0042] Gas has the characteristics of strong compressibility and fast response speed. In some emergency surgical scenarios where high speed of catheter bending adjustment is required, gas is selected as the filling medium. After being injected into the variable pressure channel 130, the bending section 110 can be quickly deformed, and the doctor can quickly adjust the bending angle of the distal end of the catheter to reach the target position in time. For example, in acute cerebral thrombosis thrombectomy surgery, it is crucial to race against time to open the blood vessels. The gas medium can help the catheter quickly adapt to the complex path of the cerebral blood vessels and improve the efficiency of the operation. At the same time, the low density of the gas makes the catheter less resisted when moving in the blood vessel, reducing the additional friction on the blood vessel wall.

[0043] Liquids are incompressible and can provide stable and uniform pressure transmission. For procedures requiring delicate manipulation and high catheter bending angle stability, such as coronary stent implantation, a liquid-filled medium can maintain a stable bending shape in the bending section 110, facilitating precise delivery of the stent to the lesion and preventing catheter position shifts caused by pressure fluctuations. Furthermore, the relatively smooth flow of the liquid medium within the catheter does not generate the impact force caused by rapid compression or expansion of gas, minimizing the impact on the catheter structure's stability and extending the catheter's service life.

[0044] The gas-liquid mixture combines the rapid response of gas with the pressure stability of liquid. In complex surgeries, the gas component plays a crucial role in the initial stages of the procedure, requiring the catheter to rapidly adjust to large angles to navigate tortuous blood vessels. During delicate procedures near the lesion, the liquid component ensures the stability of the catheter's bending angle, maintaining precise positioning at the target site. This combination offers surgeons greater operational flexibility, enabling dynamic adjustments to catheter performance as the procedure progresses.

[0045] The fluid gel has a certain viscosity and shaping ability. After being injected into the pressure-changing channel, it can better maintain pressure and reduce changes in the catheter's bending angle due to pressure leakage. This is suitable for surgeries that require the catheter to maintain a specific bending angle for a long time, such as certain interventional procedures that require continuous pressure to stop bleeding. Furthermore, the gel's viscosity makes its flow within the catheter more controllable, reducing the risk of uneven medium flow and ensuring consistent force applied to the bending section 110, thereby achieving more precise bending adjustment.

[0046] Furthermore, the distal end of the bending section 110 has a buffer tip 140 made of a polymer material. This polymer material has a smooth surface and a low friction coefficient. During movement within the blood vessel, the friction between the buffer tip 140 and the vascular endothelial cells is significantly reduced, allowing the catheter to pass through the blood vessel more smoothly. This not only reduces the mechanical drag damage of the catheter on the vascular endothelial cells, reduces cell shedding and vascular inflammatory reactions caused by friction, but also improves the doctor's operating feel, making the catheter more flexible and easy to control. This advantage is particularly evident in interventional procedures on narrow and small blood vessels, effectively avoiding complications such as vascular spasms caused by poor operation.

[0047] Specifically, during use, when the catheter body 100 needs to be adjusted after entering a blood vessel, the doctor holds the operating handle 200 in his left hand and operates a pressure adjustment device (such as a syringe) with his right hand, slowly injecting the filling medium into the variable pressure channel 130 through the branch channel 220. As the pressure in the variable pressure channel 130 gradually increases, the bending angle of the bending section 110 slowly changes under the action of pressure. The doctor observes the direction of the catheter in real time using an angiography device. When the bending angle of the bending section 110 reaches an angle that matches the blood vessel, the catheter smoothly moves along the blood vessel to the target position. The entire surgical process is efficient and safe, and the patient's postoperative recovery time is significantly reduced.

[0048] Example 2

[0049] This embodiment provides a different arrangement of the shaping component 120 and the pressure-changing channel 130 . Other structures are the same as those in Embodiment 1 and will not be described in detail here.

[0050] In this embodiment, the shaping component 120 is arranged at the outer side of the bending section 110 in the bent state, and the pressure-changing channel 130 is arranged at the inner side of the bending section 110 in the bent state.

[0051] In this way, during adjustment, after the filling medium is injected into the branch channel 220 of the operating handle 200, the filling medium enters the variable pressure channel 130 at the inner side of the bent state through the hole 131 of the bending adjustment section 110, so that the bending adjustment section 110 overcomes the shape memory characteristics of the shaping component 120 under the pressure of the filling medium, and gradually "pushes" the bending adjustment section 110 straight, and the bending angle gradually becomes smaller. Finally, after reaching a certain pressure, the shape memory effect of the nickel-titanium rod is completely offset, and the section presents a straightened state (bending angle of 0°). Gradually reducing the pressure of the filling medium, the bending adjustment section 110 will be restored to the natural state from the straightened state (bending angle of 0°) under the shape memory effect of the shaping component 120, and the bending angle gradually becomes larger.

[0052] Example 3

[0053] This embodiment provides a pressure-changing channel 130 with a different shape. Other structures are the same as those in the first embodiment and are not described in detail here.

[0054] In this embodiment, the overall length of the variable pressure channel 130 extends in the same direction as in Example 1, except that it zigzags in an S-shape during extension. This is suitable for catheter bodies 100 with thinner walls. In this case, the variable pressure channel has a smaller diameter. To ensure that the pressure can be adjusted to the target value, the variable pressure channel 130 zigzags in an S-shape, increasing the contact area with the catheter body 100 and ensuring sufficient filling of the filling medium.

[0055] Example 4

[0056] This embodiment provides a different number of voltage-changing channels 130 in different shapes. Other structures are the same as those in the first embodiment and will not be described in detail here.

[0057] In this embodiment, multiple pressure-varying channels 130 can also be arranged in parallel. However, the multiple pressure-varying channels 130 are connected at the proximal end and connected to a branch channel 220 of the operating handle 200. This is suitable for catheter bodies 100 with thinner walls. In this case, the diameter of the pressure-varying channels 130 is relatively small. To ensure that the pressure can be adjusted to the target value, multiple pressure-varying channels 130 are arranged, which can increase the contact area with the catheter body 100 and thus ensure sufficient filling of the filling medium.

[0058] Example 5

[0059] This embodiment provides a different arrangement of the shaping component 120 , and other structures are the same as those in Embodiment 1, which will not be described in detail here.

[0060] In this embodiment, the shaping component 120 is fixedly embedded on the outer wall of the catheter body 100 or the inner wall of the lumen.

[0061] In summary, the adjustable bend catheter provided by the present invention effectively solves many problems existing in existing catheters in interventional surgery through its innovative structural design, and has good clinical application prospects.

[0062] It will be understood that the above description is merely exemplary and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0063] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the pending claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An adjustable curved conduit, characterized in that: include: A catheter body (100), wherein the distal end of the catheter body (100) has a bending adjustment section (110), and a shaping component (120) is arranged on one side of the bending adjustment section (110) for making the bending adjustment section (110) bend in a natural state. The catheter body (100) has an axially extending pressure-changing channel (130), wherein the distal end of the pressure-changing channel (130) extends to be flush with the distal end of the bending adjustment section (110), and the proximal end is used to be filled with a filling medium to adjust the pressure in the pressure-changing channel (130); An operating handle (200) is provided at the proximal end of the catheter body (100). The operating handle (200) has a main channel (210) and a branch channel (220), which are respectively used to connect the lumen of the catheter body (100) and the pressure-changing channel (130). When in operation, a filling medium is filled into the pressure-changing channel (130) through the branch channel (220) to adjust the pressure in the pressure-changing channel (130) so as to adjust the bending degree of the bending section (110).

2. The adjustable curved conduit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure-changing channel (130) and the shaping component (120) are both linear.

3. The adjustable bend conduit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure-changing channel (130) and the shaping component (120) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the bending adjustment section (110).

4. The adjustable curved conduit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The shaping component (120) is arranged at an inner side of the bending section (110) in a bent state, and the pressure-changing channel (130) is arranged at an outer side of the bending section (110) in a bent state.

5. The adjustable curved conduit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The shaping component (120) is arranged at an outer side of the bending section (110) in a bent state, and the pressure-changing channel (130) is arranged at an inner side of the bending section (110) in a bent state.

6. The adjustable curved conduit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The shaping component (120) is a rod-shaped or sheet-shaped structure made of nickel-titanium alloy.

7. The adjustable bend conduit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The filling medium is gas and / or liquid, or a flowing gel.

8. The adjustable bend conduit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The distal end of the bending adjustment section (110) is provided with a buffer head (140) made of a polymer material, which is used to reduce damage to blood vessels.

9. The adjustable bend conduit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The shaping component (120) is embedded inside the side wall of the bending adjustment section (110).

10. The adjustable bend conduit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The operating handle (200) has one branch channel (220).

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