Angled Tip Neurovascular Catheter for Tortuous Vessel Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for acute ischemic stroke, such as thrombolytic drugs and mechanical thrombectomy devices, have limitations including time constraints, increased risk of hemorrhagic complications, and contraindications, necessitating the development of new devices and methods for effectively treating vasculature occlusions.
Innovation Solution
A neurovascular catheter with an angled, atraumatic navigational tip, featuring a flexible tubular body with a helical coil and radiopaque marker, designed to navigate through the vasculature and aspirate obstructive material with enhanced navigational capabilities and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional thrombolytic drugs or mechanical thrombectomy devices are used, then treatment of acute ischemic stroke is provided, but time constraints and increased risk of hemorrhagic complications occur
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into distinct functional segments: a flexible tubular body for navigation, a helical coil for engagement with occlusive material, and a distal tip for aspiration. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while reducing overall treatment complexity and improving safety
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter acts as an intermediary device that mechanically removes thrombus material from cerebral vessels, providing an alternative pathway that bypasses the need for thrombolytic drugs and their associated hemorrhagic risks
2Productivity
If mechanical thrombectomy devices are used, then occlusive material can be removed, but device complexity and navigational challenges in tortuous vasculature increase
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs a flexible tubular body with a helical coil structure that can conform to tortuous vascular paths while maintaining structural integrity. This flexibility reduces navigational challenges in complex vasculature without compromising the ability to deliver therapeutic function
Solution Approach 2:
The helical coil configuration provides inherent curvature that facilitates navigation through bent and tortuous vessels, allowing the catheter to follow natural vascular pathways while maintaining engagement with the occlusive material
3Measurement precision
If catheters with rigid tips are used, then navigational precision is improved, but risk of vascular trauma and hemorrhage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter features an atraumatic distal tip with specific geometric characteristics that minimize vascular trauma during insertion and navigation. This localized design modification allows the tip to be gentle on vessel walls while the proximal portions maintain sufficient structure for effective thrombectomy
Data Source
AI summary
A neurovascular catheter having an elongate flexible tubular body. The body can have a catheter distal face residing on a first plane being at a first nonorthogonal angle relative to the longitudinal axis. The body can have a radiopaque marker being positioned in a distal zone of the tubular body and being proximal to the catheter distal face. The marker can have a marker distal face at least partially residing on a second plane being at a second nonorthogonal angle relative to the longitudinal axis. The first plane can be approximately parallel to the second plane.