Articulating Device Steering Wire Lumen Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical devices used to access remote body regions face challenges in navigating irregularly shaped body lumens due to increased outer diameter from steering wires, which limits access to treatment sites and reduces usable interior space.
Innovation Solution
An articulating device with a reinforcing element and exterior layer bonded by an interface, featuring a lumen for steering wires to articulate the distal end, minimizing the outer diameter while maximizing interior space, using polymeric materials and a braided wire tube for reinforcement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If steering wires are routed through the interior of the device, then the device can be steered through body lumens, but the outer diameter of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The steering wires are nested within lumens that are formed in the exterior layer of the device. This allows the wires to be contained within the device structure without increasing the outer diameter, as the lumens utilize the existing wall structure of the device rather than requiring additional radial space.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of routing wires through the interior volume of the device (one dimension), the invention moves the wires to the exterior layer where lumens can be formed (another dimension). This dimensional shift allows for wire routing that does not compromise the interior space or increase outer diameter.
2Ease of operation
If wires are routed through a structure inside the device such as a sleeve, then the device can be steered, but the outer diameter increases and usable interior space decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The steering wires are nested within lumens that are formed in the exterior layer of the device. This allows the wires to be contained within the device structure without increasing the outer diameter, as the lumens utilize the existing wall structure of the device rather than requiring additional radial space.
Solution Approach 2:
The steering wires are extracted from the interior volume of the device and relocated to the exterior layer. This extraction removes the wires from the interior space, thereby maximizing the usable interior volume for other purposes while maintaining steering functionality in the exterior layer.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the device is made flexible to permit steering, then the device can navigate curved body lumens, but the device may buckle under push forces
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs a composite structure combining an exterior layer made of flexible polymeric material with an interior core containing reinforcing elements. The exterior layer provides flexibility for navigation, while the reinforcing elements within the core provide structural support to prevent buckling when the device is pushed through body lumens.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the device have different mechanical properties: the exterior layer is made flexible to allow steering and navigation through curved lumens, while the interior core is reinforced with high-strength materials to provide buckling resistance. This local differentiation of material properties allows the device to simultaneously achieve flexibility and structural integrity.
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 device allows for flexible steering while maintaining structural integrity, enabling effective navigation through narrow body lumens and increasing the usability of interior space for diagnostic or therapeutic tools.
Implementation Method 1
the interface may comprise a chemical bond or a physical bond formed between the exterior layer and the interior core
Implementation Method 2
the interface may comprise a chemical bond or a physical bond formed between the exterior layer and the interior core
Implementation Method 3
The exterior layer may include a second material, and the interface may comprise a fused portion of the first and second materials
Implementation Method 4
an interior core with a reinforcing element extending along a central axis
Implementation Method 5
a steering wire moveable in the lumen to articulate a distal end of the device relative to the central axis in response to a force applied to the wire
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of articulating devices and methods are disclosed. An exemplary articulating device may comprise an interior core with a reinforcing extending along a central axis, an exterior layer bonded to the interior core by an interface, and a lumen extending through the exterior layer, exterior of the reinforcing element, and parallel to the central axis. A steering wire may be moveable in the lumen to articulate a distal end of the device relative to the central axis in response to a force applied to the steering wire. Related methods of manufacturing an articulating device are also described.