Autonomous Catheterization Assembly with Vascular Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Catheterization procedures for conditions like stroke are hindered by the lack of skilled operators in remote areas, leading to delayed treatment and worsened patient outcomes due to time-critical nature of interventions like mechanical thrombectomy.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous catheterization assembly with a catheter arrangement, propulsion assembly, route computation module, and control unit that computes and follows a vascular roadmap, allowing for independent navigation and minimally assisted or remote-controlled procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If catheterization procedures are performed manually by skilled operators, then the procedure can be performed with high precision and safety, but the availability of treatment is limited to areas with skilled practitioners present
Solution Approach 1:
The catheterization system performs navigation and manipulation tasks autonomously using onboard sensors, processors, and actuators. The system navigates through the vascular system by detecting vessel geometry and automatically adjusting its position, eliminating the need for continuous manual control while maintaining procedural precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical manipulation by operators with an automated control system that uses sensors to detect vessel geometry and processors to compute navigation paths. The system substitutes human skill with electronic control algorithms and automated actuation mechanisms
2Reliability
If treatment is delayed to transfer patients to specialized centers, then skilled operators can perform the procedure, but patient outcomes worsen due to time loss
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous catheterization system enables treatment to be performed at local facilities without requiring transfer to specialized centers. The system's self-navigation and self-manipulation capabilities allow operators with minimal training to perform complex procedures, bringing specialized care to remote locations and eliminating transfer delays
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines multiple functions including navigation, imaging, manipulation, and treatment delivery into a single integrated platform. This multi-functional capability allows the system to perform various catheterization procedures at any facility with the equipment, eliminating the need for specialized centers
3Productivity
If manual catheter manipulation is performed, then the operator can respond to anatomical variations, but the procedure time increases and complexity rises
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual manipulation with automated control algorithms that process real-time sensor data to navigate anatomical variations. The control system automatically adjusts catheter position and orientation based on detected vessel geometry, maintaining adaptability while reducing procedure time and operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously senses vessel geometry through onboard sensors and uses this feedback to automatically adjust its navigation path and manipulation actions. This closed-loop control enables rapid adaptation to anatomical variations without requiring complex manual coordination
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous catheterization assembly includes a catheter arrangement for insertion into the vascular system of a patient. In an embodiment, the catheter arrangement includes a sensor arrangement to sense a condition in the interior of a vessel of the vascular system, a shape adjustment device arranged in a distal portion of the catheter arrangement, and an actuator arrangement to control the shape adjustment device to adjust the shape and/or orientation of the distal portion of the catheter arrangement. The autonomous catheterization assembly further includes a propulsion assembly to propel elements of the catheter arrangement through the vascular system of the patient; a route computation module to compute a route through the vascular system to a target; and a control unit to actuate the propulsion assembly based upon the computed route and/or in response to a sensed condition in the interior of a vessel of the vascular system.