Balloon Catheter Core Wire Tapered Area Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing balloon catheter design experiences reduced operability due to uneven rigidity distribution along the catheter, particularly at the guide wire port area, where the guide wire's presence increases rigidity on the leading end side but not on the base end side, leading to inadequate force transmission during insertion into the human body.
Innovation Solution
A catheter design featuring a core wire with a leading end side area and a tapered area, where the cross-sectional area increases at different rates in the first and second tapered areas, enhancing rigidity near the guide wire port and improving force transmissibility by positioning the boundary between these areas further towards the leading end side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the guide wire is inserted through the lumen of the inner tube, then the guide wire can be led to the outside from a midway position, but the rigidity increases locally at the guide wire port location causing inadequate force transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The core wire is designed with non-uniform rigidity distribution: the section across the guide wire port has higher rigidity to maintain structural integrity during guide wire insertion, while the leading end section has lower rigidity to facilitate smooth insertion into the human body. This local differentiation of mechanical properties resolves the contradiction between guide wire accessibility and force transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The core wire is divided into functionally distinct segments: a base end section with larger diameter for rigidity and force transmission, a section across the guide wire port with optimized rigidity for structural support, and a leading end section with smaller diameter for flexible insertion. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function optimally.
2Strength
If the core wire outer diameter increases at a constant rate from leading end to base end, then rigidity is gradually reduced from base end to leading end, but the pressing force is not properly transmitted to the leading end side
Solution Approach 1:
The core wire's outer diameter is designed to increase at a non-uniform rate from the leading end to the base end. Specifically, the diameter increases more rapidly in the section across the guide wire port compared to the leading end section. This parameter variation creates optimal rigidity distribution that enables both guide wire insertion and effective pressing force transmission to the leading end.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
AI summary
A catheter is provided that is capable of achieving an improvement in operability when the catheter is introduced into a human body. A guide wire port 21 is formed in a midway position, in an axial line direction, of a peripheral wall portion 23 of an outer shaft 15 of a balloon catheter 10. A core wire 30, which extends across the guide wire port 21 in the axial line direction is provided in an outer tube hole 15a of the outer shaft 15. The core wire 30 is provided with a leading end side area 31, which is further to a leading end side than the guide wire port 21, and a tapered area 32, which is provided on a base end side of the leading end side area 31. The tapered area 32 is provided continuously from the base end side of the leading end side area 31 and has a first tapered area 34, which includes a same position as the guide wire port 21 in the axial line direction, and a second tapered area 35, which is provided continuously from a base end side of the first tapered area 34. A rate of increase of a transverse cross-sectional area from the leading end side toward the base end side is larger in the first tapered area 34 than in the second tapered area 35.