Articulating Catheter for Percutaneous Cardiac Tissue Excision
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical procedures for removing clips, cysts, and other structures from cardiac valve leaflets are inefficient and often require invasive surgeries, such as open-heart surgery, which pose significant risks to patients.
Innovation Solution
The development of catheters and robotic manipulators equipped with cutting, grasping, and suction capabilities, allowing for minimally invasive procedures to excise and remove unwanted cardiac valve leaflets, clips, and other structures using electrosurgical devices and snare mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If open-heart surgery is used to remove clips, cysts, and other structures from cardiac valve leaflets, then complete removal can be achieved, but patient risk increases and procedure invasiveness worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical open-heart surgical tools with a catheter-based system that uses electrosurgical energy (radiofrequency or microwave) to cut and remove cardiac valve structures. The electrosurgical catheter delivers energy through tissue to achieve cutting and ablation without requiring open surgical access, thereby reducing patient risk while maintaining effective removal capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an electrosurgical catheter as an intermediary tool that can be inserted percutaneously to deliver cutting energy to cardiac valve structures. This intermediary device enables remote manipulation and removal of clips, cysts, and other structures without direct surgical exposure, reducing invasiveness while achieving complete removal through controlled energy delivery
2Manufacturing precision
If electrosurgical catheters are used for tissue cutting, then cutting precision improves, but risk of unintended tissue damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating electrosurgical energy at a specific focal point on the tissue surface through the catheter tip. The energy delivery is localized to the immediate treatment area, allowing precise cutting of target structures while minimizing thermal spread to surrounding healthy tissue. The catheter design ensures energy is delivered only where intended, reducing the risk of unintended damage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms through real-time monitoring of electrosurgical energy delivery parameters and tissue response. The system adjusts energy output based on tissue characteristics and cutting progress, preventing excessive energy delivery that could cause unintended damage. This closed-loop control ensures cutting precision while maintaining safety margins
3Object-affected harmful factors
If percutaneous access is used, then procedure invasiveness decreases, but ability to manipulate and remove large structures worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the catheter's ability to navigate in three-dimensional space within the heart chambers to access and manipulate structures from multiple angles. The flexible catheter can be steered and positioned precisely around cardiac valve structures, enabling manipulation and removal of relatively large clips, cysts, and other formations through a small percutaneous access point by exploiting the additional spatial dimensions available within the cardiac anatomy
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
Enables the safe and effective removal of cardiac valve leaflets and attached structures percutaneously, reducing patient risk and avoiding the need for open-heart surgery by providing precise tissue cutting and grasping techniques.
Implementation Method 1
Electrical current is conducted to the cauterization loop to sever the polyp from the patient
Implementation Method 2
suction is applied through the tubular member to entrain the polyp to the web member
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3D
Figure 4
AI summary
The disclosure provides various embodiments of catheters having articulable ends that can be used for various procedures. Embodiments of methods are also provided that can be performed with catheters in accordance with the present disclosure.