Medical Balloon Tip Sleeve Lubricious Layer Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical balloon assemblies face challenges in deliverability through a patient's anatomy due to high tracking forces, particularly when navigating through narrow constrictions or obstacles within the body lumen.
Innovation Solution
A medical balloon assembly featuring a tip sleeve with an inner bonding layer and an outer lubricious layer, directly bonded to the balloon catheter, enhances deliverability by reducing friction and facilitating smoother navigation through the body lumen, with the tip sleeve's tapered design and lubricious polymer materials aiding in guidewire tracking and fluid sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional balloon catheter is used, then the structure is simple, but the tracking force is high and deliverability through narrow constrictions is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The tip sleeve is divided into multiple functional layers: an inner bondable layer for attachment to the balloon catheter and an outer lubricious layer for reducing friction during navigation. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its specific function, resolving the contradiction between simple structure and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The tip sleeve combines different materials with complementary properties - a bondable polymer layer for secure attachment and a lubricious polymer layer for low friction navigation. This composite structure enables the tip sleeve to simultaneously provide strong attachment and reduce tracking force, improving deliverability without complicating the overall device structure.
2Ease of operation
If a tip sleeve with multiple layers is added, then the lubricity and bonding are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tip sleeve merges the functions of lubrication and bonding into a single integrated component that attaches to the balloon catheter. By combining these functions in one element rather than separate components, the design improves navigation smoothness while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the tip sleeve have different material properties - the inner layer is optimized for bonding to the balloon catheter while the outer layer is optimized for lubrication during navigation. This local differentiation of material qualities allows the tip sleeve to perform multiple functions without requiring a complex multi-component structure.
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 medical balloon assembly reduces the force required for advancing the balloon catheter, enabling easier navigation through constricted areas and maintaining a secure, durable connection, thereby improving deliverability and usability within the body lumen.
Implementation Method 1
The inner layer is formed from a bondable material that is directly bondable to the exterior of the distal neck portion of the balloon
Implementation Method 2
The outer layer is formed from a lubricious polymer
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a medical balloon assembly includes a tip sleeve secured to the distal end portion of a balloon catheter that includes the distal neck of a balloon. The tip sleeve has at least an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer is formed from a bondable material that is directly bondable to the exterior of the distal neck portion of the balloon. The tip sleeve is bonded directly to the distal neck of the balloon. The outer layer is formed from a lubricious polymer. Such a medical balloon assembly is made by receiving the distal neck inside the proximal end portion of the tip sleeve and directly bonding the distal neck of the balloon to the inner layer of the tip sleeve.