Balloon Catheter Protrusion Orientation for Vessel Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional balloon catheters face difficulties in finely adjusting the position of the balloon at a hardened narrowed part in a blood vessel and effectively penetrating or cutting the narrowed part due to protrusions or dilation elements being buried or caught, often made of materials with higher hardness than the balloon body.
Innovation Solution
A balloon catheter design featuring a shaft with a distal balloon having a straight tube portion and tapered portions, where the protrusions on the balloon surface are configured to satisfy specific scattering intensity ratios measured by laser Raman spectroscopy, providing enhanced rigidity and flexibility to facilitate precise positioning and cutting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional balloon catheters use protrusions or dilation elements made of materials with higher hardness than the balloon body, then the protrusion can penetrate hardened narrowed parts, but the protrusion gets buried into the balloon when the balloon is expanded by application of pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the orientation of higher order structures in the balloon material through specific manufacturing processes (such as stretching ratios and heating temperatures). This changes the physical parameters of the balloon material to achieve the desired balance between protrusion penetration capability and balloon flexibility for position adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating different orientations of higher order structures in different regions of the balloon. The central part of the balloon has a first orientation that allows fine adjustment, while other regions have different orientations that provide appropriate flexibility and support for protrusion function.
2Strength
If conventional balloon catheters use protrusions with high rigidity, then the protrusion can cut hardened narrowed parts, but the protrusion is caught in the narrowed part and cannot be easily adjusted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes by precisely controlling the orientation parameters of higher order structures in the balloon material through manufacturing parameters such as stretching ratios and heating temperatures. This enables the balloon to have appropriate flexibility in the central region for easy position adjustment while maintaining protrusion rigidity for cutting capability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the balloon material has high orientation of higher order structures, then the protrusion is less likely to be buried in the balloon, but the balloon becomes less flexible for position adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating spatial variations in the orientation of higher order structures within the balloon material. The central part has a specific orientation configuration that provides flexibility for adjustment, while other regions have different orientations that prevent protrusion burial and maintain structural stability.
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 design allows for easy fine adjustment of the balloon's position and effective cutting of hardened narrowed parts in blood vessels by minimizing the protrusion's burial or catching, enhancing the catheter's operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a scattering intensity in each of the cross sections measured by laser Raman spectroscopy satisfies Expression (1)
Implementation Method 2
a scattering intensity in each of the cross sections measured by laser Raman spectroscopy
Data Source
AI summary
The balloon catheter includes: a shaft; and a balloon having a straight tube portion and a tapered portion, wherein the balloon has a wing-shaped portion and a protrusion on an outer surface, and a scattering intensity in each of the cross sections measured by laser Raman spectroscopy satisfies Expression (1): Ime>Ite (1) where Ime is Ia/Ib at a central part of a base end part of the protrusion on the straight tube portion, and Itc is Ia/Ib at a central part of a base end part of the protrusion on the tapered portion, Ia being a ratio of a peak intensity in the X direction to a peak intensity in the Y direction at a wavenumber of 1640 cm−1, Ib being a ratio of a peak intensity in the X direction to a peak intensity in the Y direction at a wavenumber of 1440 cm−1.