Medical Catheter Distal Bending Control via Integrated Stiffening Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical catheter instruments face challenges in achieving high functional reliability and flexibility while maintaining low production costs, particularly in controlling the deflection of the distal portion with existing designs.
Innovation Solution
The catheter instrument incorporates a shaft portion with a distal portion that can be bent in a controlled manner, featuring a combination of an elongated, elastically flexible stiffening element and an elongated, flexible, axially length-variable bending element. These elements are integrated within the distal portion, with the stiffening element providing higher flexural rigidity to restore bending movements and the bending element interacting with a control element to enable active bending, allowing for enhanced flexibility and deflection capabilities without the need for additional material or lumens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tension wire control element is used with a rubber element for resetting, then the distal portion can be bent and reset, but the production cost increases and structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the stiffening element and bending element into a single integrated structure within the distal portion. The stiffening element provides structural support while the bending element enables controlled deflection, merging multiple functions into one component rather than using separate tension wires and rubber elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated element serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides stiffening support, enables bending movement, and allows resetting through its elastic properties. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate control elements and resetting mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If multiple tension cable pieces are used to control bending in a plane, then bending control is achieved, but the device complexity and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using multiple separate tension cable pieces, the patent merges the control function into a single integrated bending element that can be actuated by a single control element, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining bending control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control mechanism from multiple tension cables to a single control element that acts on the integrated bending element, altering the system's degrees of freedom and control parameters to achieve simpler operation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If strips are incorporated into the distal portion to stabilize it, then transverse deflections are counteracted, but the production cost and structural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the stabilizing function into the integrated stiffening element, which provides both longitudinal support and transverse stability through its structural design, eliminating the need for separate stabilizing strips.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiffening element serves multiple functions including providing structural stability, enabling bending, and preventing transverse deflections, making separate stabilizing components unnecessary.
4Ease of operation
If the distal portion is designed with high flexibility for bending, then ease of operation improves, but functional reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the stiffening and bending functions in an integrated element, where the stiffening portion provides structural reliability while the bending portion enables flexibility, achieving both properties simultaneously through a unified structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different structural properties to different regions of the distal portion: the stiffening element provides rigidity where structural integrity is needed, while the bending element provides flexibility where movement is required, achieving local optimization of mechanical properties.
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
This design enhances the functional reliability and flexibility of the catheter by allowing controlled bending in multiple directions, reducing the risk of tissue injury and enabling efficient production, as the stiffening and bending elements can be optimized independently or integrated into the solid material, eliminating the need for additional structural components.
Implementation Method 1
at least one elongated, elastically flexible stiffening element
Implementation Method 2
The stiffening element forms a bending movement restoring element, which has a higher flexural rigidity than the at least one bending element
Data Source
AI summary
A medical catheter instrument has a shaft portion, a distal portion bendable in a controlled manner in at least one direction relative to the shaft portion, and a control element extending in an axially movable manner through the shaft portion to the distal portion. The axial movement of the control element controls a corresponding bending movement of the distal portion. The catheter instrument includes a bending assembly having at least one elongated, elastically bendable stiffening element and at least one elongated, bendable and axially length-adjustable bending element, the elements being provided in an axial sub-region of the distal portion and extending therein with an axial main component, wherein the stiffening element forms an element restoring bending movement and has a higher flexural stiffness than the bending element, and the bending element is coupled to the control element or forms part of the same.