Interventional Catheter Housing Guide Wire Brake Buffer Zone
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current interventional catheter systems face challenges in managing guide wires during procedures, as the stiff guide wires tend to deform or kink when constrained in limited spaces, requiring repeated releasing and reclamping, which complicates and prolongs interventions, especially when dealing with long lesions.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a guide wire management system with a buffer zone between the guide wire exit and clamp, allowing variable lengths of guide wire to accumulate in an unrestrained, curved configuration, enabling the catheter and operating head to be advanced and retracted without repositioning the guide wire or adjusting the clamp, thus accommodating changes in guide wire length without compromising the wire.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the guide wire is clamped in a fixed position to enable catheter advancement, then the catheter can be advanced and retracted over the guide wire, but the stiff guide wire tends to deform or kink when constrained in limited spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The guide wire brake is positioned at an angle relative to the guide wire exit, creating a three-dimensional buffer zone that allows the guide wire to curve naturally without kinking. This angular arrangement provides spatial accommodation for guide wire deformation while maintaining clamp stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer zone acts as an intermediary space between the guide wire exit and the clamp, absorbing the mechanical stress and preventing direct transmission of constraining forces that would cause kinking. This intermediate region allows controlled curvature while protecting guide wire integrity.
2Ease of operation
If the guide wire is clamped securely to prevent movement, then the catheter can be manipulated at the target site, but repeated releasing and reclamping is required for long lesions
Solution Approach 1:
The guide wire brake is positioned and configured in advance to accommodate the full range of catheter movements required for treating long lesions. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for repeated adjustments during the procedure, as the brake is pre-configured to handle the entire working range.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static clamp position to a dynamic buffer zone that adapts to varying catheter positions. The angled slot geometry allows the guide wire to move dynamically within the buffer zone while remaining secured, accommodating continuous catheter advancement and retraction without requiring brake repositioning.
3Area of stationary object
If the guide wire is constrained in limited space within the controller, then the system remains compact, but the guide wire deforms or kinks
Solution Approach 1:
The guide wire brake utilizes an angled slot configuration that extends the guide wire pathway in three dimensions rather than confining it to a straight linear path. This angular arrangement creates effective buffer space without proportionally increasing the controller's external dimensions, accommodating guide wire curvature while maintaining compactness.
4Area of stationary object
If the guide wire brake is positioned close to the exit for compact design, then the controller remains small, but variable guide wire lengths cannot be accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
The angled slot geometry creates a dynamic buffer zone where the effective length accommodates varies with the guide wire angle and position. This dynamic configuration allows the same physical space to accommodate variable guide wire lengths by utilizing the angular relationship between the exit and brake, providing adaptability without increasing controller footprint.
Data Source
AI summary
Interventional catheter assemblies that operate over a guide wire are disclosed. Specifically, an elongated flexible catheter is associated at its proximal end with a housing having a guide wire port where the guide wire exits the housing. The housing additionally incorporates a guide wire brake mounted within a slot positioned a distance from the guide wire port for engaging and releasing a guide wire. The slot is generally arranged at an angle to the path of the guide wire as it exits the guide wire port. When the guide wire is clamped in the angled slot, variable lengths of exposed guide wire accumulate in a substantially unrestrained condition when the flexible catheter is advanced and retracted relative to the guide wire, allowing movement of the distal end of the catheter over considerable distances without repositioning and re-clamping the proximal end of the guide wire.