Expandable Catheter Filter for Embolic Particle Trapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current catheter-based treatments for medical conditions like coronary heart disease face challenges with dislodging particles during procedures, leading to uncontrolled emboli that can cause adverse effects such as stroke, as existing technologies struggle to effectively filter and trap debris while maintaining blood flow.
Innovation Solution
A catheter apparatus with first and second shafts and a filter that expands to trap particles larger than red blood cells, allowing red blood cells to pass through while mitigating the passage of larger particles, and collapses to retract trapped particles into the catheter for safe removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filter is deployed to trap embolic particles during catheter-based procedures, then particle filtration effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for expandable/collapsible filter structure and multiple shafts
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is nested within the outer catheter in a collapsed state during delivery, and can be expanded at the target site. The first and second shafts are also nested within each other and the outer catheter, allowing the entire assembly to be delivered through a single vascular access point while providing complex functionality when deployed
Solution Approach 2:
The filter transitions from a collapsed low-profile state during delivery to an expanded high-surface-area state at the treatment site, allowing it to effectively trap particles while maintaining navigability through vessels. The shafts also move relative to each other to control filter deployment and retrieval
2Reliability
If the filter is expanded to a larger dimension to improve particle capture, then particle filtration effectiveness is improved, but the difficulty of retracting the filter into the catheter increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is designed to collapse back into a compact form that can be retracted into the outer catheter after use. The perimeter structure and support members are configured to allow the filter to return to its low-profile collapsed state, facilitating easy retrieval through the catheter
Solution Approach 2:
The filter dynamically transitions between expanded and collapsed states through the relative movement of the first and second shafts. When the shafts move to the retraction position, the filter collapses and can be pulled back into the catheter, enabling easy retrieval of trapped particles
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 apparatus effectively filters and captures embolic particles during vascular interventions, reducing the risk of adverse effects like stroke by ensuring unobstructed blood flow and safe removal of debris, thereby enhancing the safety and efficacy of procedures like TAVR/TAVI.
Implementation Method 1
The filter passes human red blood cells and mitigates the passage of particles having a dimension larger than the human red blood cells
Data Source
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AI summary
Blood flow into vascular tissue is filtered in a manner that can also be useful for trapping particulates while allowing the flow of blood. Consistent with one or more embodiments, a filter apparatus includes a filter, an outer delivery sheath such as a catheter, and one or more shafts that are operable to manipulate the shape of the filter for positioning within vascular tissue. The filter conforms to various types of vascular tissue, and filters blood flow passing through openings in the vascular tissue. In some implementations, the filter is used to trap particulates that have been collected on the filter, and collapses to trap and draw the particulates into the outer delivery sheath.