Atherectomy Catheter Proximal Collection Window
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Solution Overview
Problem
Atherectomy catheters face challenges in traversing through occluded vessels and efficiently removing and handling plaque, particularly in tortuous and small arteries, with existing designs struggling to cross chronic total occlusions and manage plaque fragments, which can lead to downstream occlusions.
Innovation Solution
The development of an atherectomy catheter with a rotating distal tip and side-cutting window, featuring a cutting element that extends through the side wall of the catheter, allowing for material removal and collection proximal to the cutting window, and a collection chamber positioned to prevent drive shaft obstruction, enabling effective plaque removal and handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a collection chamber is positioned distal to the cutting window, then material can be collected, but the drive shaft blocks the cutting window and prevents effective cutting
Solution Approach 1:
The collection chamber is repositioned from a distal location to a proximal location relative to the cutting window, changing the spatial dimension of material collection. This allows the cutting element to extend through the side opening without being blocked by the drive shaft, while the collection chamber remains positioned to receive and contain cut material effectively
2Adaptability or versatility
If the catheter is designed to cross chronic total occlusions, then it can access difficult anatomy, but the catheter cannot traverse through totally occluded treatment sites
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into functionally distinct segments: a distal abrasive tip for crossing occlusions and a proximal cutting element for removing plaque at the treatment site. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, enabling the catheter to both cross chronic total occlusions and effectively treat the vessel at the target location
3Device complexity
If plaque fragments are not captured, then the cutting procedure is simple, but liberated plaque remnants cause downstream occlusions
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting function and material collection function are merged into a single integrated catheter system. The collection chamber is positioned proximal to the cutting window and configured to receive material cut by the cutting element, ensuring that plaque fragments are captured immediately upon removal from the vessel wall and prevented from migrating downstream
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 design enables safe and efficient removal of plaque from occluded vessels, including chronic total occlusions, by allowing the catheter to cross difficult anatomy and collect material without obstructing the cutting window, reducing the risk of downstream occlusions and improving treatment efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
The abrasive surface enables the catheter to cross a chronic total occlusion (CTO)
Implementation Method 2
a cutting element which removes material from a treatment site
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter having a tubular body and a rotatable shaft disposed within a lumen of the tubular body. A cutting element is coupled to the rotatable shaft, the cutting element having a cutting edge, the cutting element and rotatable shaft being longitudinally moveable within the tubular body between a stored position in which the cutting element is positioned distal of a side opening and a cutting position in which the cutting element is contained within the lumen of the tubular body and longitudinally aligned with the side opening. The cutting element is configured to extend through the side opening and to cut material from the wall of a vessel at a treatment site as the catheter is pulled proximally through the treatment site. The catheter may optionally have a rotating distal tip with an abrasive surface. The catheter includes a collection chamber positioned proximally of the cutting window.