Rotating Atherectomy Tip and Auger for Plaque Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing minimally invasive vascular treatments for atherosclerosis, such as balloon angioplasty and atherectomy, face challenges in effectively removing plaque due to limitations in plaque removal area and potential complications, while major surgeries are invasive and risky.
Innovation Solution
An atherectomy device with a rotatable tip and auger mechanism, capable of high-speed rotation and aspiration, is designed to enhance plaque removal by increasing the area treated and using a flexible shaft for minimally invasive procedures, allowing for efficient debulking of deposits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If balloon angioplasty is used to treat vessel occlusion, then the procedure is minimally invasive, but the plaque is only stretched or cracked and not removed, leading to frequent restenosis
Solution Approach 1:
The atherectomy device extracts and removes plaque deposits from the vessel wall through mechanical cutting or abrasion, rather than merely compressing them as in balloon angioplasty. The cutting element engages the plaque and removes it from the vessel wall, addressing the restenosis problem by eliminating the obstructive material entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the purely mechanical compression system of balloon angioplasty with a combined mechanical cutting and aspiration system. The cutting element mechanically removes plaque while the aspiration system simultaneously extracts debris, providing a more effective and durable solution to vessel occlusion.
2Reliability
If atherectomy is used to remove plaque, then plaque removal is achieved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components needed for effective plaque removal
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the cutting function and aspiration function into a single integrated device. The cutting element and aspiration lumen are combined in one catheter assembly, allowing simultaneous plaque removal and debris extraction without requiring separate devices, thereby managing complexity while enhancing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The atherectomy device performs multiple functions within a single system: it cuts or abrades plaque from the vessel wall, aspirates the removed debris, and maintains vessel patency. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple separate procedures or devices.
3Reliability
If major surgery is performed to bypass occlusion, then blood flow is restored, but the surgery is invasive, expensive, and requires long recovery time
Solution Approach 1:
The atherectomy device extracts plaque directly from the vessel wall, restoring blood flow through the native vessel rather than creating a bypass. This eliminates the need for surgical grafts and associated trauma while achieving the same goal of restoring adequate blood flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the complex mechanical system of surgical bypass (requiring grafts, sutures, and large incisions) with a minimally invasive catheter-based system that uses rotational cutting and aspiration to clear the vessel internally.
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 effectively widens the blood passageway by removing plaque with minimal invasiveness, reducing recovery time and complications, and improving blood flow through vessels like coronary and peripheral arteries.
Implementation Method 1
a rotatable tip spaced distally from the distal end of the outer member and mounted to the distal region of the rotatable shaft, the rotatable tip rotatable by rotation of the shaft to remove the plaque
Implementation Method 2
an auger positioned on the rotatable shaft, the auger positioned proximally of the rotatable tip and extending along the rotatable shaft, wherein rotation of the shaft rotates the auger to move particles abraded by the tip proximally into the outer member
Implementation Method 3
whereby particles are aspirated through the outer member in the space between the rotatable shaft and an inner wall of the outer member
Data Source
AI summary
An atherectomy device for removing deposits such as plaque from an interior of a vessel including an outer member, an inner member and a rotatable shaft positioned for rotational movement within the inner member. The outer and inner members are fixed axially. A rotatable tip is mounted to the distal region of the rotatable shaft for rotation about its longitudinal axis upon rotation of the shaft to remove deposits from the vessel.