Adjustable Balloon Fixation for Sheath Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical tools used in intravascular, intracardiac, or intraluminal invasive procedures often slip from their target locations within a patient's organ, requiring time-consuming repositioning and posing additional risks to the patient.
Innovation Solution
A medical tool comprising a sheath with an inflatable balloon coupled to it, which can be moved and fixed at a target location along the sheath's length using a balloon-moving and balloon-fixing mechanism, preventing the tool from moving from its intended position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an inflatable balloon is used to fix the medical tool at the target location, then the reliability of position maintenance is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the addition of balloon-moving and balloon-fixing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The medical tool is divided into distinct functional modules: a sheath for navigation, an inflatable balloon for fixation, and separate balloon-moving and balloon-fixing mechanisms. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, improving overall reliability while enabling modular design that manages complexity through functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon is positioned and prepared for inflation before the actual fixation is needed. The balloon-moving mechanism advances the balloon to the target location along the sheath, and the balloon is inflated in advance to create the fixation effect before the tool needs to be secured at the final position, ensuring reliable position maintenance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the balloon is movable along the sheath to reach the target location, then the adaptability of the tool is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to the additional control mechanisms required
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable balloon serves multiple functions: it acts as a positioning element that can be moved along the sheath to different locations, serves as a fixation mechanism when inflated, and can potentially be deflated for repositioning. This multi-functionality improves adaptability while reducing the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon transitions from a deflated state (allowing easy movement along the sheath) to an inflated state (providing rigid fixation). This dynamic transformation allows the same component to adapt to different operational requirements: mobility during positioning and stability during the procedure, improving ease of operation at different stages.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The tool effectively maintains its position at the target location within the patient's organ, reducing the risk of slipping and the need for repositioning, thereby enhancing procedural efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
inflating the inflatable balloon when the balloon is positioned at the target balloon location along the length of the sheath
Data Source
AI summary
A tool positioning system for use in a medical procedure includes a medical tool configured to be navigated to a target tool location within a portion of an organ of a patient. The medical tool includes a sheath having a tube defined by a sheath wall, the sheath extending a length in a proximal-distal direction and an inflatable balloon coupled to the sheath and configured to move along the length of the sheath in the proximal-distal direction. When the inflatable balloon is inflated at a target balloon location along the length of the sheath, the inflated balloon is fixed at the target balloon location. The tool positioning system also includes memory configured to store location of the tool in a three dimensional (3D) space and at least one processor configured to generate mapping information for displaying locations of the tool in the 3D space.