Controllable-bending microcatheter

Abstract

Provided is a controllable-bending microcatheter, comprising a catheter body (2) and a base (1). The catheter body (2) comprises an inner tube (21) and an outer tube (23); the inner tube (21) and the outer tube (23) are fixed at a distal end, and the inner tube (21) and the outer tube (23) can be axially displaced relative to each other to bend a distal section. Transverse slots are formed in at least one of the inner tube (21) and the outer tube (23), and the slotting patterns of a proximal section and the distal section of the inner tube (21) and the outer tube (23) are different. Transverse slots (28) of the distal section have a fixed interval width, while transverse slots (27) of the proximal section have a gradually increasing interval width and are circumferentially displaced relative to each other. The distal end of the catheter body (2) is provided with a sensor (24), which can effectively detect the condition of the lumen environment, improve the treatment accuracy, and reduce the device loss and surgical risks.

Description

A controllable bending microcatheter Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of interventional catheter technology, and in particular to a controllable bending microcatheter. Background Technology

[0002] Interventional catheters are indispensable tools in procedures involving bifurcated vessels and requiring precise localization, such as diaphragmatic puncture, cardiovascular intervention, peripheral vascular intervention, atrial septal puncture, renal artery ablation, heart valve repair, and tumor embolization. Pre-shaped catheters are typically used to establish an external pathway to the target location, facilitating the entry of guidewires or other instruments for diagnosis and treatment. However, due to individual differences in human anatomy, pre-shaped catheters cannot perfectly adapt to all clinical needs. If an inserted catheter does not fit the patient's physiological structure, it must be withdrawn and a new catheter inserted, increasing procedure time and potentially causing harm to the patient.

[0003] To accommodate individual differences in human physiological and anatomical structures, controllable bending microcatheters have emerged and gained widespread application. A controllable bending microcatheter, with its inner and outer tubes fixed at their distal ends, allows axial displacement between the inner and outer tubes to bend the distal end of the catheter at different angles. When the bending angle conforms to the specific physiological structural characteristics of the human lumen, the control base is stopped, and the distal end of the catheter is aligned with the target lumen inlet. Diagnostic and / or therapeutic instruments / media are then delivered through the catheter into the target lumen. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide a controllable bending microcatheter, comprising a catheter body and a base. The catheter body includes an inner tube and an outer tube, with the distal ends of the inner and outer tubes fixed and arranged in a structure that allows for relative axial displacement. The inner and outer tubes form transverse grooves, with different groove patterns on the proximal and distal ends. This innovative groove pattern improves the overall mechanical properties of the catheter. A sensor is located at the distal end of the catheter body. The sensor is connected to the base via a wire positioned in the intermediate lumen between the inner and outer tubes, effectively monitoring the body cavity environment, improving treatment precision, reducing equipment wear and surgical risks.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a controllable bending microcatheter, comprising a catheter body and a base; the catheter body includes an inner tube and an outer tube, the outer tube being sleeved outside the inner tube, the inner tube and the outer tube being fixedly connected at the distal end, and the inner tube and the outer tube being axially movable relative to each other, the axial movement causing the distal end of the catheter body to bend.

[0006] At least one of the inner and outer tubes forms a transverse groove. The transverse grooves in the proximal and distal sections of the inner and outer tubes are different. The transverse grooves in the distal sections of the inner and outer tubes have the same shape and the same opening direction. The spacing between the transverse grooves is fixed. The transverse grooves in the proximal sections of the inner and outer tubes have the same shape and are circumferentially displaced from each other. The circumferential displacement angles of two adjacent transverse grooves are equal. The spacing between the transverse grooves gradually increases from the distal end to the proximal end.

[0007] The spacing between the distal transverse grooves of the outer and inner tubes is smaller than the spacing between the two furthest grooves of the proximal transverse grooves.

[0008] In some embodiments, both the inner side of the inner tube and the outer layer of the outer tube are provided with a polymer layer.

[0009] In some embodiments, the distal end of the outer tube and the distal end of the inner tube are fixedly connected by metal glue or plugging.

[0010] In some embodiments, the distal end of the outer tube and the distal end of the inner tube are fixedly connected by single-point or multi-point welding, and multiple welding points are circumferentially symmetrically distributed in the intermediate cavity formed between the inner tube and the outer tube, with gaps between the welding points.

[0011] In some embodiments, a sensor is provided at the distal non-bent section of the catheter body. The sensor may be located in a pre-reserved groove or in an intermediate lumen, and its wire is located in the intermediate lumen between the inner tube and the outer tube. The wire is connected to the sensor and the base.

[0012] In some embodiments, the sensor may be a pressure sensor or an ultrasonic sensor, and the sensor includes a receiver and a transmitter.

[0013] In some embodiments, a sleeve is provided outside the wire disposed inside the intermediate cavity formed between the inner tube and the outer tube, and the sleeve is made of a soft polymer material.

[0014] Due to the application of the above technical solutions, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art. On the one hand, the controllable bending microcatheter adopts a structure with fixed inner and outer tube ends and axial movement, supplemented by transverse groove structures with different arrangement and distribution, so that the proximal and distal sections of the inner tube and the outer tube have different degrees of flexibility. While maintaining the stability of the inner and outer tubes, it effectively improves the controllability of the distal bending of the catheter, avoiding the cumbersome process of traditional controllable bending catheters. On the other hand, the controllable bending microcatheter is equipped with an ultrasonic sensor or pressure sensor at the distal end of the catheter body, and the lead wire is protected by a polymer material, which expands the functionality and safety of the catheter. It can effectively monitor the human lumen environment, thereby improving treatment accuracy, reducing instrument wear and surgical risks. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the controllable bending microcatheter proposed in this invention;

[0016] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the controllable bending microcatheter proposed in this invention, showing the catheter bending caused by axial movement of the inner and outer tubes;

[0017] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the groove cutting in an embodiment of the controllable bending microcatheter proposed in this invention;

[0018] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the catheter body of an embodiment of the controllable bending microcatheter proposed in this invention.

[0019] List of feature names corresponding to the labels in the figure:

[0020] 1. Base; 2. Catheter body; 21. Inner tube; 22. Intermediate lumen; 23. Outer tube; 24. Sensor; 241. Wire; 25. Infusion lumen; 26. Groove; 27. Proximal transverse groove; 28. Distal transverse groove. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. In the field of medical devices, the proximal end refers to the end of the medical device that is controlled by a doctor or outside the human body, and the distal end refers to the other end of the medical device that plays a diagnostic / therapeutic role or is inside the human body. The proximal and distal directions are defined accordingly, and the distal and proximal ends of the overall structure or individual parts are named accordingly for the convenience of detailed description.

[0022] This invention proposes a controllable bending microcatheter, primarily used in interventional procedures. By monitoring and infusing media and / or liquids and / or delivering embolic materials and / or appropriate instruments through sensors, it enables the monitoring of blood flow and blood pressure, improving the precision of interventional procedures and reducing instrument wear and surgical risks.

[0023] An embodiment of the controllable bending microcatheter in this invention:

[0024] A controllable bending microcatheter includes a base 1 and a catheter body 2, with the distal end of the base 1 connected to the proximal end of the catheter body 2. The catheter body includes an inner tube 21 and an outer tube 23, forming an intermediate lumen 22 between the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 23, and an infusion lumen 25 formed inside the tube 21. The inner tube 21 and the outer tube 23 are fixedly connected at their distal ends, and the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 23 are configured to be axially displaced relative to each other, thereby causing the distal end of the catheter body 2 to bend.

[0025] Both the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 23 are provided with transverse grooves. Each of the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 23 can be divided into a distal transverse groove 28 and a proximal transverse groove 27. The distal transverse groove 28 and the proximal transverse groove 27 have different cutting methods. Specifically, the distal transverse grooves 28 have the same groove shape, open in the same direction, and are spaced at equal intervals. The distal transverse grooves 27 have the same groove shape, but are circumferentially displaced from each other, and the interval width gradually increases from the distal end to the proximal end.

[0026] In one specific embodiment, a groove 26 is pre-set at the distal end of the catheter body 2, and a sensor 24 is disposed in the groove 26. The sensor 24 can be an ultrasonic sensor or a pressure sensor. The sensor 24 is connected to the base 1 through a wire 241 disposed in the intermediate lumen 22.

[0027] In one specific embodiment, the wire 241 is fixedly arranged in the intermediate cavity 22, and the outside of the wire is protected by a sleeve made of soft polymer material.

[0028] In one specific embodiment, a polymer layer is provided on the outer side of the outer tube 23 and the inner side of the inner tube 21. The intermediate tube cavity 22 is sealed and isolated from the external environment of the outer tube 23 and the internal infusion cavity 25 of the inner tube 21, so as to avoid the sensor 24 and the wire 241 from being interfered with by the internal and external liquid or instrument environment, so as to affect their safety and stability.

[0029] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as "inner" and "outer" that describe direction and positional relationships are used only for the convenience of describing the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0030] In the relevant descriptions of this application, unless otherwise expressly stated, terms such as “connection” and “linked” should be interpreted broadly, including but not limited to fixed connection, detachable connection, integral connection, indirect connection through a medium, or mechanical connection, electrical connection, or connection of conductive components.

[0031] The embodiments of this invention are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of this invention, and are intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of this invention and implement it. They should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of this invention should be covered within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A controllable bending microcatheter, characterized in that, Includes the catheter body and base; The catheter body includes an inner tube and an outer tube, both of which include a proximal segment and a distal segment. At least one of the outer tube and the inner tube forms a transverse groove, and the grooves of the proximal segment and the distal segment are cut in different ways. The outer tube is sleeved on the outside of the inner tube, and the outer tube and the inner tube are fixedly connected at the distal end. The outer tube and the inner tube can move axially relative to each other, and the axial movement relative to each other causes the distal end of the catheter body to bend.

2. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer tube and the inner tube have the same shape in their distal transverse grooves and open in the same direction, and the spacing width of the distal transverse grooves is fixed; the outer tube and the inner tube have the same shape in their proximal transverse grooves and are circumferentially displaced from each other, and the spacing width of the proximal transverse grooves gradually increases from the distal end to the proximal end.

3. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The circumferential displacement angles of two adjacent proximal transverse grooves are equal.

4. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 3, characterized in that, The spacing width of the distal transverse grooves of the outer tube and the inner tube is less than the width between the two furthest grooves of the proximal transverse groove.

5. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer tube is provided with a polymer layer, and the inner tube is provided with a polymer layer on its inner side.

6. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 5, characterized in that, The outer tube and the inner tube are fixedly connected at the remote end by means of single-point welding, metal glue, or plugging.

7. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 5, characterized in that, The outer tube and the inner tube are fixedly connected at the far end by multi-point welding, with multiple welding points symmetrically distributed circumferentially and gaps between the welding points.

8. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, An intermediate cavity is formed between the inner tube and the outer tube. A sensor is provided at the distal end of the conduit body, and a wire connecting the sensor and the base is provided in the intermediate cavity.

9. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sensor includes a receiver and a transmitter, and the sensor is an ultrasonic sensor or a pressure sensor.

10. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 9, characterized in that, The outer side of the conductor is provided with a sleeve, which is made of a soft polymer material.

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