Inflatable Anchor Balloon for Implantable Device Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Delivering implantable devices, such as hemodynamic sensors, within dynamic vessels like the pulmonary artery is challenging due to movement of wires during breathing, leading to inaccurate landmark establishment and increased risks of device dislodgment or dampened pressure waves.
Innovation Solution
A delivery system with inflatable anchor balloons that lodge within the vessel to stabilize the inner support member and implantable device, allowing precise placement without catheter exchange or contrast dye, and enabling adjustment for optimal signal strength before final deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If fluoroscopy and angiography are used to establish landmarks for device delivery, then the intended location can be identified, but wire movement during breathing causes inaccurate landmark establishment and device misplacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing a fixed reference point (landmark) at the distal end of the delivery catheter before device deployment. This landmark remains stationary relative to the catheter structure, providing a stable reference for determining the intended delivery location despite wire movement during breathing. The landmark is positioned and secured beforehand, allowing accurate location identification without being affected by subsequent physiological movements.
2Reliability
If the device is deployed distally of the branch of interest, then pressure waves are dampened, but if deployed proximally, the device risks dislodgment in the main pulmonary artery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary mechanism - a releasable anchor or securing feature at the distal end of the delivery catheter - to temporarily hold the device at the precise intended location during deployment. This intermediary structure allows the device to be positioned exactly at the branch of interest without risking proximal dislodgment into the main pulmonary artery, while also preventing distal migration that would dampen pressure waves. The anchor provides temporary stabilization during the critical deployment phase.
3Ease of operation
If a delivery catheter is advanced over a guide wire through the vasculature, then the device can be delivered to the target location, but the procedure requires catheter exchange and contrast dye administration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the guide wire and delivery catheter into a single integrated delivery system. The delivery catheter is designed to accommodate and advance over the guide wire, combining two separate components into one unified device. This integration eliminates the need for separate catheter exchange steps and reduces the requirement for contrast dye administration, simplifying the overall procedure while maintaining the ability to navigate to the target location and deploy the device.
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
This method ensures accurate placement of implantable devices with reduced trauma and side effects, allowing for precise management of vessel pressure and improved device retention, even in patients with higher body mass.
Implementation Method 1
The anchor member is configured to be lodged in the portion of the vessel to locate an intended position of the anchor member and to prevent movement of the inner support member relative to the vessel during release of the implantable device
Implementation Method 2
the distal tip of the inner support member is extended past a distal tip of an outer catheter of the device such that an anchor member is outside of the outer catheter; urging the anchor member through the vessel until the anchor member is lodged within the vessel
Data Source
AI summary
The delivery system may include, for example, an outer catheter having a distal tip and an inner support member, such as an inner catheter, disposed within the outer catheter. The inner support member includes an anchor member adjacent a distal tip of the inner support member and a support portion axially inward of the anchor member. The support portion is configured for supporting an implantable device thereon. A diameter of the anchor member corresponds to a diameter of a portion of a vessel in which the anchor member is to be disposed. The anchor member is configured to be lodged in the portion of the vessel to locate an intended position of the anchor member and to prevent movement of the inner support member relative to the vessel during release of the implantable device.