Atherectomy Catheter Shapeable Distal Tip Maneuverability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing atherectomy catheters with straight profiles struggle to maneuver effectively against arterial walls to remove plaque buildup, especially in curved or tortuous portions of arteries.
Innovation Solution
The development of atherectomy catheters with a shapeable distal tip, featuring a rotatable cutter and a catheter body with a shapeable section that can bend into a U-shape or spiral configuration upon activation, allowing for improved maneuverability and plaque removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a straight profile catheter is used, then the catheter structure is simple, but the catheter cannot maneuver effectively against arterial walls to remove plaque buildup
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter incorporates a shapeable section with bendable portions that can be activated to change the catheter's configuration from straight to curved, allowing dynamic adaptation to arterial geometry. This enables effective maneuverability against arterial walls while maintaining a simple straight profile during delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter's shape parameter is changed from straight to curved through activation of the shapeable section. This parameter change allows the catheter to conform to tortuous arterial portions and position the cutter effectively against plaque buildup.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a straight profile catheter is used, then the catheter is easy to manufacture, but the catheter cannot access occlusions in curved vessel segments
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into distinct segments including a straight delivery portion and a shapeable section with bendable portions. This segmentation allows the catheter to maintain a simple straight profile during manufacture and delivery, while the shapeable section can be activated to access curved vessel segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The shapeable section is pre-configured with bendable portions that can be activated during the procedure. This preliminary preparation allows the catheter to be manufactured simply while still具备 the capability to access curved vessels when needed.
3Productivity
If the cutter is extended through the window, then plaque removal is effective, but the cutter may contact the arterial wall causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cutter is positioned such that only specific portions extend through the cutting window at any given time, allowing localized plaque removal while minimizing contact with the arterial wall. The shapeable section helps position the cutter optimally against the plaque while the non-contact portions remain protected.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutter extends partially through the window rather than fully, providing sufficient plaque removal capability while reducing the risk of arterial wall damage. This partial extension is adequate for effective debulking while maintaining safety.
Data Source
AI summary
An atherectomy catheter for use in a vessel includes a catheter and a rotatable cutter. The rotatable cutter can be translatable within the catheter to extend the cutter through a window of the catheter or retracted the cutter within the catheter. The catheter can have a fixed bend and/or have a shapeable portion configured to facilitate positioning and movement of the cutter. The shapeable portion may take on a pre-defined shape. The shapeable portion may be positioned against an inner wall of a blood vessel to provide leverage for the rotatable cutter. In some cases, a rotation limiter may limit the number of rotations that the catheter can rotate with respect to a guidewire to prevent twisting of the guidewire.