Catheter Cross-Linked Sections for Guide Wire Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical catheters with guide wires face challenges in efficiently guiding and detaching the wire due to lack of adequate flexibility and durability, particularly during rough manipulation, which can lead to tearing and increased treatment time.
Innovation Solution
A catheter made of thermoplastic resin with a cross-linked section and a low cross-linked section, featuring a slit-shaped opening for the guide wire, allowing for elastic deformation and enhanced durability, along with a protecting section for added hardness, ensures efficient guide wire attachment and detachment while preventing tearing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the catheter is made entirely of rigid thermoplastic resin to maintain structural integrity, then durability against rough handling is improved, but flexibility for guide wire manipulation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter applies local quality by creating distinct cross-linked and non-cross-linked sections along its length. The cross-linked sections (higher density) provide enhanced strength and durability, while the non-cross-linked sections (lower density) maintain flexibility and elasticity. This spatial variation in material properties allows the catheter to simultaneously achieve both durability and ease of guide wire manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter employs composite material structure by combining thermoplastic resin with cross-linking agents in different proportions across different sections. The cross-linked sections contain higher concentration of cross-linking agents, creating a composite structure with enhanced mechanical properties, while non-cross-linked sections maintain the base thermoplastic resin properties for flexibility.
2Strength
If the catheter wall is made thick to prevent tearing during rough manipulation, then durability is improved, but ease of guide wire insertion and detachment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter applies local quality by creating distinct cross-linked and non-cross-linked sections along its length. The cross-linked sections (higher density) provide enhanced strength and durability, while the non-cross-linked sections (lower density) maintain flexibility and elasticity. This spatial variation in material properties allows the catheter to simultaneously achieve both durability and ease of guide wire manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter employs dynamics by allowing the material properties to vary along its length. The transition from non-cross-linked to cross-linked sections creates a dynamic gradient in mechanical properties, enabling the catheter to be flexible where needed for guide wire manipulation and strong where needed for durability.
3Ease of operation
If the catheter is made uniformly flexible to facilitate guide wire manipulation, then ease of operation is improved, but structural integrity and resistance to rough handling deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter applies local quality by creating distinct cross-linked and non-cross-linked sections along its length. The cross-linked sections (higher density) provide enhanced strength and durability, while the non-cross-linked sections (lower density) maintain flexibility and elasticity. This spatial variation in material properties allows the catheter to simultaneously achieve both durability and ease of guide wire manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter employs segmentation by dividing it into multiple sections with different cross-linking densities. The non-cross-linked sections provide flexibility for manipulation, while the cross-linked sections provide structural integrity. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specific function optimally.
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 catheter effectively transmits pressing forces, facilitates easy guide wire manipulation, and maintains durability against rough handling, reducing the risk of tearing and improving treatment efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a cross-linked section configured to have a high cross-linked section in which a cross-linking degree of the thermoplastic resin is relatively high
Implementation Method 2
may be passively changed by elastic deformation of the thermoplastic resin of the edge section
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter includes an elongate member configured to have a longitudinal axis and formed of a thermoplastic resin; an elongate guide wire holder section configured to include a cavity into which a guide wire is insertable at an interior of the elongate member; a cross-linked section configured to have a high cross-linked section and a low cross-linked section which is adjacent to the high cross-linked section in a radial direction of the elongate member and in which the cross-linking degree is relatively lower than that of the high cross-linked section; and an opening section configured to communicate with the cavity of the guide wire holder and an outer circumferential surface of the guide wire holder in the low cross-linked section of the cross-linked section and formed in a slit shape along the longitudinal axis of the guide wire holder.