Balloon Catheter Linear Notches for Curved Vessel Trackability
Solution Overview
Problem
Balloon catheters with linear elements can stick out when passing through curved blood vessels, increasing resistance and making introduction difficult.
Innovation Solution
A balloon catheter with linear parts on its outer surface featuring notches at intermediate positions, allowing for easier bending and reducing the likelihood of the linear parts sticking out, thereby improving trackability through curved vessels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a balloon catheter is designed to be compliant and flexible to navigate tortuous vasculature, then it can reach difficult-to-access lesions, but it becomes difficult to deliver large bulky drugs or coils to the target site
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter system is divided into a delivery catheter and a separate balloon catheter. The delivery catheter serves as a track for advancing the balloon catheter to the target site, while the balloon catheter can be inflated to a larger diameter at the lesion location to deliver bulky materials. This segmentation allows the system to navigate tortuous vasculature initially, then expand at the target to deliver large drugs or coils.
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon catheter transitions from a compressed, flexible state during delivery through tortuous vasculature to an inflated, larger-diameter state at the target site. This dynamic transformation allows the catheter to adapt its properties: compliant and navigable during delivery, then capable of delivering bulky materials when inflated at the lesion location.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a stiff delivery system is used to push large drugs or coils to the target site, then delivery capability is improved, but the system cannot navigate tortuous vasculature
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the delivery function into two components: a delivery catheter that navigates tortuous vasculature and a balloon catheter that provides the push force for bulky materials. The delivery catheter's flexibility allows navigation, while the balloon catheter's ability to inflate provides the necessary stiffness and force to deliver large drugs or coils to the target site.
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon catheter remains compressed and flexible during navigation through tortuous vasculature, then inflates at the target site to provide the structural support and pushing force needed to deliver bulky materials. This dynamic property change resolves the contradiction between navigability and delivery capability.
3Power
If a non-compliant balloon is used to deliver drugs, then delivery force is improved, but the balloon cannot conform to the vessel wall and may cause damage
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon catheter uses a compliant balloon material that changes its mechanical properties based on inflation pressure. When inflated, the compliant balloon conforms to the vessel wall shape, distributing pressure evenly and preventing damage, while still providing sufficient delivery force for embolization through the mechanical advantage of the inflation pressure and balloon geometry.
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 notched linear parts enhance the balloon's ability to navigate curved blood vessels without impairing its functionality, ensuring smooth introduction and effective lesion incision.
Implementation Method 1
the compliant balloon may be inflated with a sufficient inflation pressure to cause the compliant balloon to expand into a non-spheroidal shape that conforms to the shape of the vessel wall
Implementation Method 2
the compliant balloon may be inflated with a sufficient inflation pressure to cause the compliant balloon to expand into a non-spheroidal shape that conforms to the shape of the vessel wall and/or to push a sufficient force against a distal end of the catheter to thereby push the embolic agents through the catheter to a target site
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
AI summary
Provided is a balloon catheter 10 comprising, at a tip side thereof, a balloon 13 which can expand and contract. Linear parts 30 which extend linearly along an axial direction of the balloon 13 are provided to an outer surface of the balloon 13. The plurality of linear parts 30 are provided at a prescribed interval along a circumferential direction of the balloon 13. A notch 31 is formed in each linear part 30 at a middle position along the length direction thereof. The notches 31 are respectively formed at positions which evenly divide the length of the linear parts 30.