Catheter Balloon Biasing Spring Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Balloon catheters face challenges in deflating and withdrawing from a patient's body without bunching up or expanding to a larger diameter than pre-inflation, which complicates post-procedure removal and storage.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a spring member that biases the balloon in an extended state, exerting a distally-oriented force on an elongate member anchored to the balloon, facilitating deflation and withdrawal by maintaining the balloon in an extended position, which can be positioned within the catheter shaft or in a port component, and using a non-compressible material for the elongate member to ensure effective force transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the balloon is inflated and used for therapy delivery, then the therapeutic effect is achieved, but the balloon expands to a larger diameter making withdrawal difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter system employs dynamic state changes of the balloon between inflated and deflated configurations. The balloon is inflated during therapy delivery to achieve therapeutic effect, then deflated for withdrawal. The spring member and elongate member work together to facilitate this dynamic transition, ensuring the balloon returns to an extended deflated state for easy withdrawal into the sheath.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring member is pre-loaded in a compressed state within the catheter shaft, storing elastic potential energy before use. When the balloon is deflated, this pre-loaded spring member automatically extends and exerts force on the elongate member to pull the balloon into an extended position, preventing bunching before withdrawal occurs.
2Ease of operation
If the balloon is deflated for withdrawal, then removal is facilitated, but the balloon may bunch up or deflate to a larger diameter than pre-inflation
Solution Approach 1:
The elongate member acts as an intermediary mechanical connector between the spring member and the balloon. It transmits the distally-oriented force from the spring member to the balloon, ensuring controlled extension and preventing uncontrolled bunching or irregular deflation during the withdrawal process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system controls the physical state parameters of the balloon during deflation. By using the spring member to maintain tension on the elongate member, the balloon is kept in an extended configuration with controlled diameter, preventing it from collapsing into a bunched or irregular shape that would be larger than the pre-inflation diameter.
3Ease of operation
If a spring member is added to bias the balloon in an extended state, then deflation and withdrawal are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring member and elongate member are integrated into the existing catheter shaft structure. The spring member is positioned within the catheter shaft and coupled to the elongate member, which extends into the balloon. This merging of components allows the biasing mechanism to be incorporated without adding significant external complexity to the catheter system.
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 spring member ensures the balloon remains in an extended state during deflation, preventing bunching and allowing for smooth withdrawal into a sheath, enhancing procedural efficiency and minimizing complications.
Implementation Method 1
the balloon catheter includes a spring member that biases the balloon in an extended state
Implementation Method 2
the spring member exerts a distally-oriented force on an elongate member that extends into and is anchored to a distal end of the balloon
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A catheter includes a shaft (110); an inflatable balloon having a proximal end that is anchored to an end of the shaft; an elongate member (220) that is separate from and disposed inside the shaft, extends into an interior chamber of the balloon, and is anchored to a distal end of the balloon; and a spring member (104C) that exerts a distally-oriented longitudinal force on the elongate member, relative to the shaft, where the distally-oriented longitudinal force causes the balloon to be biased in an extended position, away from the end of the shaft. The catheter can further include a sheath that surrounds the shaft and balloon before a treatment procedure. The balloon can be configured to be advanced outside the sheath during a treatment procedure and inflated, and the spring member can be configured to facilitate deflation and withdrawal of the balloon into the sheath following the procedure.