Steerable microcatheter

Abstract

A steerable microcatheter, comprising a catheter body (2) and a base (1). The catheter body (2) comprises an inner tube (21) and an outer tube (22). The inner tube (21) and the outer tube (22) are fixed at distal ends. The inner tube (21) and the outer tube (22) can be axially and relatively displaced to bend distal sections. At least one of the inner tube (21) and the outer tube (22) forms lateral grooves, and the grooving manners for proximal sections and the distal sections of the inner tube (21) and the outer tube (22) are different. The inner tube (21) is provided with a high-molecular-weight polymer layer (29) and forms a first tube cavity (27) and a second tube cavity (28). The intervals between the grooves of the distal sections have a constant width, and the intervals between the grooves of the proximal sections have a gradually increasing width and are relatively and circumferentially displaced. A distal end of the catheter body (2) is provided with a microscope unit (24). An optical fiber (25) and a wire (26) are arranged in the first tube cavity (27). The microscope unit (24) is connected to the base (1) by means of the optical fiber (25) and the wire (26). Therefore, the internal conditions of the tube cavities are recognized, thereby achieving the purposes of accurate determination and accurate treatment.

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 If an inserted catheter does not fit the patient's physiological structure, it must be withdrawn and a new catheter inserted, increasing procedure time and potentially causing harm to the patient.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 and to accurately analyze lesions within human cavities, controllable bending catheters with microscope units have become an option. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide a controllable bending microcatheter with a microscope unit. The controllable bending microcatheter includes a catheter body and a base. The catheter body comprises an inner tube and an outer tube, the distal ends of which are fixed and arranged in a structure that allows relative axial displacement to control the degree of bending of the distal section of the catheter. The inner and outer tubes form transverse grooves, with different groove patterns on the proximal and distal sections. A polymer layer is disposed on the inner side of the inner tube, which also includes a first lumen and a second lumen. A microscope unit is disposed at the distal end of the catheter body. The microscope unit is connected to the base via optical fibers and wires, which are arranged within the first lumen.

[0005] The microscope unit includes a light source assembly, an optical assembly, and a sensor assembly. The light source assembly is connected to an optical fiber. The base emits near-infrared light to the front end of the guide tube body through the optical fiber. The sensor assembly receives the reflected light and transmits the signal to the base through a wire. The optical assembly is located at the front end of the sensor assembly.

[0006] In some embodiments, a pre-formed flexible polymer tube is provided inside the inner tube, the flexible polymer tube being tightly fitted and fixed to the inner tube, and the tube containing a first cavity and a second cavity.

[0007] In some embodiments, a polymer layer is provided on the inner side of the inner tube, which is closely fitted to a portion of the inner tube to form a first lumen and a second lumen.

[0008] In some embodiments, the distal transverse grooves of the outer tube and the inner tube have the same shape and open in the same direction, and the spacing width of the distal transverse grooves is fixed; the proximal transverse grooves of the outer tube and the inner tube have the same shape 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.

[0009] In some embodiments, the circumferential displacement angles of two adjacent proximal transverse grooves are equal.

[0010] In some embodiments, the spacing width of the distal transverse cuts of the outer tube and the inner tube is smaller than the spacing width between the two furthest cuts of the proximal transverse cuts.

[0011] In some embodiments, a polymer layer is provided on the outer layer of the outer tube.

[0012] In some embodiments, the base includes a signal processing unit that receives signals transmitted by the sensor via wires and adjusts the wavelength and intensity of the near-infrared light emitted by the sensor according to the signals.

[0013] In some embodiments, the outer side of the optical fiber and the conductor is provided with a sleeve made of 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 a transverse groove distribution structure with different intervals, so that the flexibility of the inner tube and the distal and proximal sections of the outer tube are different. While maintaining the stability of the inner and outer tubes, it effectively improves the controllability of the bending of the distal section of the catheter, avoiding the cumbersome process of traditional controllable bending catheters. On the other hand, a microscope unit is set at the distal end of the controllable bending microcatheter. The optical fiber and wire connecting the microscope unit are set in the first lumen formed by the polymer layer inside the inner tube. While retaining the catheter infusion function, the good sealing property provided by the polymer layer is used to achieve stable setting of the optical fiber and wire, avoiding the risk of damage to the optical fiber and wire in complex environments, while reducing surgical risks and instrument wear and tear, and improving the accuracy of treatment. 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 the structure of a controllable bending microcatheter proposed in this invention, which undergoes deformation and bending after axial movement.

[0017] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the catheter body of an embodiment of the controllable bending microcatheter proposed in this invention.

[0018] List of feature names corresponding to the labels in the figure:

[0019] 1. Base; 11. Signal processing unit;

[0020] 2. Catheter body; 21. Inner tube; 22. Intermediate lumen; 23. Outer tube; 24. Microscope unit; 25. Optical fiber; 26. Conductor; 27. First lumen; 28. Second lumen; 29. ​​Polymer layer;

[0021] 3. Flexible section of the catheter body. Detailed Implementation

[0022] 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.

[0023] This invention proposes a controllable bending microcatheter, primarily for interventional procedures. Through a microscope unit, it monitors and infuses media and / or liquids and / or delivers embolic materials and / or appropriate instruments to achieve imaging and monitoring of the body's luminal state, improving the precision of interventional procedures and reducing instrument wear and surgical risks.

[0024] An embodiment of the controllable bending microcatheter in this invention:

[0025] A controllable bending microcatheter includes a base 1 and a catheter body 2. The base 1 is equipped with a signal processing unit 11, and the distal end of the base 1 is connected to the proximal end of the catheter body 2. The catheter body 2 includes an inner tube 21 and an outer tube 22. The distal ends of the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 22 are fixed and arranged in a structure that allows relative axial displacement to control the degree of bending of the distal end of the catheter. The outer tube 23 is sleeved outside the inner tube 21, and the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 23 are fixedly connected by welding, metal glue, or plugging.

[0026] The inner tube 21 and the outer tube 22 form transverse grooves, and the grooving methods of the proximal and distal sections of the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 22 are different. The distal transverse grooves of the outer tube 23 and the inner tube 21 have the same shape and open in the same direction, and the spacing width of the distal transverse grooves is fixed; the proximal transverse grooves of the outer tube 23 and the inner tube 21 have the same shape 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.

[0027] The inner tube 21 has a polymer layer 29 on its inner side. The polymer layer 29 is tightly attached to a part of the inner tube 21, dividing the inner tube cavity into a first cavity 27 and a second cavity 28. The first cavity 27 is provided with an optical fiber 25 and a wire 26, which are connected to the base 1.

[0028] A microscope unit 24 is disposed at the distal end of the catheter body 2 and is connected to an optical fiber 25 and a wire 26. The microscope unit 24 includes a light source assembly, an optical assembly, and a sensor assembly. The light source assembly is connected to the optical fiber 25. The base 1 emits near-infrared light to the front end of the catheter body 2 through the optical fiber 25. The sensor assembly receives the reflected light and transmits the signal to the base 1 through the wire 26. The optical assembly is disposed at the front end of the sensor assembly.

[0029] In one specific embodiment, the base 1 emits near-infrared light, which is transmitted to the light source assembly via optical fiber 25 and then emitted to the front of the conduit body 2. The sensor assembly receives the reflected near-infrared light and transmits a signal to the base 1 via wire 26. The signal processing unit 11 located in the base 1 receives the signal and adjusts the wavelength and intensity of the near-infrared light emitted by the base 1 according to the signal.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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. The inner tube includes a first lumen and a second lumen.

2. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 1, characterized in that, A polymer layer is provided on the inner side of the inner tube, and the polymer layer is closely attached to a part of the inner tube to form the first cavity and the second cavity.

3. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner tube is provided with a pre-formed flexible polymer tube containing the first cavity and the second cavity, and the flexible polymer tube is tightly fitted and fixed to the inner tube.

4. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, A microscope unit is provided at the distal end of the catheter body.

5. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 4, 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.

6. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 5, characterized in that, The circumferential displacement angles of two adjacent proximal transverse grooves are equal.

7. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 6, 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.

8. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 7, characterized in that, The outer layer of the outer tube is provided with a polymer layer.

9. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 8, characterized in that, The outer tube and the inner tube are fixedly connected at the remote end by welding, metal glue, or plugging.

10. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 9, characterized in that, The microscope unit is located at the distal end of the connection point between the inner tube and the outer tube.

11. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first cavity is provided with an optical fiber and a wire, and the optical fiber and the wire are connected to the base.

12. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 11, characterized in that, The microscope unit includes a light source assembly, an optical assembly, and a sensor assembly; the light source assembly is connected to the optical fiber, and the base emits near-infrared light through the optical fiber and transmits it to the front end of the catheter body through the light source assembly; the sensor assembly is connected to the wire, and the sensor assembly receives reflected light and transmits signals to the base through the wire; the optical assembly is disposed at the front end of the sensor assembly.

13. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 12, characterized in that, The base includes a signal processing unit that receives the sensor signal and adjusts the wavelength and intensity of the near-infrared light according to the signal.

14. The controllable bending microcatheter according to claim 13, characterized in that, The optical fiber and the conductor are provided with a sleeve on the outside, and the sleeve is made of a soft polymer material.

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