Balloon Catheter Dual Light Guide Uniform Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing heating type balloon dilation techniques face challenges in efficiently heating the vascular wall to a target temperature in a short time, leading to potential thermal denaturation of proteins and reduced heating efficiency due to light beam leakage from the heat generating member.
Innovation Solution
A balloon catheter design featuring a shaft with an elastically expandable balloon, a heat generating member, and dual light guide members that emit light beams to efficiently heat the heat generating member, with the positions of the light guide members shifted to ensure uniform heating and a metal layer to prevent light leakage, allowing for rapid temperature increase and reduced overheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single light guide member is used to heat the heat generating member, then the device structure is simple, but the heating time is long and proteins may be thermally denatured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single light guide member into multiple light guide members (first and second light guide members) that emit light beams to different positions of the heat generating member simultaneously. This segmentation allows parallel heating of multiple regions, reducing the total heating time while maintaining structural simplicity through the modular arrangement of multiple identical components.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the light source is disposed inside the heat generating member, then the heating efficiency is high, but light beams may leak out through gaps between metal wires
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light source from the interior of the heat generating member and positions it externally. The light guide members are disposed outside the heat generating member, with their distal ends emitting light beams toward the heat generating member's surface. This extraction eliminates the gap leakage problem while maintaining high heating efficiency through direct external illumination of the heat generating member's outer peripheral surface.
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple light guide members are used to heat different positions, then uniform heating is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric positioning of the first and second light guide members relative to the heat generating member's longitudinal axis. The light guide members are arranged at different angular positions and/or distances from the axis, creating asymmetric illumination paths that collectively cover the entire circumference of the heat generating member. This asymmetric arrangement achieves uniform heating without requiring complex symmetric multi-component systems.
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 solution enables efficient heating of the vascular wall to a target temperature in a shorter time, preventing thermal denaturation and minimizing light beam leakage, thus enhancing the effectiveness of the balloon dilation procedure.
Implementation Method 1
a first light guide member and a second light guide member which are extended up to the internal space of the balloon along the shaft and emit light beams to the heat generating member from the distal end
Implementation Method 2
the heat is transmitted to the vascular wall through a fluid (for example, physiological saline, water) for expanding the balloon
Implementation Method 3
a cover tube which covers the tube at a position where the cover tube is superimposed on the heat generating member in the radial direction and which has a light-reflective metal layer laminated on at least one of the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(A)~3(B)
AI summary
[Problem] To provide a balloon catheter capable of increasing the temperature of a blood vessel contacting a balloon to a target temperature in a short time by efficiently heating a heat generating member. [Solution] A balloon catheter (10) has a shaft (12) having an elastically expandable balloon (11) on the distal end side and space provided inside and allowing a fluid to flow into and flow out the balloon (11), a heat generating member (22) provided in the internal space of the balloon (11), and optical fibers (20A, 20B) which are extended up to the internal space of the balloon (11) along the shaft (12) and emit light beams input into the proximal end to the heat generating member (22) from the distal end.