Catheter Handle Cross-Cut Threads for Precise Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical device handles for catheter articulation require complex mechanisms and additional gears, making them costly, error-prone, and difficult to fabricate while lacking precise control for accurate steering of catheter tips.
Innovation Solution
A medical device handle with a cylindrical housing and a control element featuring cross-cut threads that mechanically couple with pull wire mounting elements, allowing for precise actuation of pull wires without additional gears, enabling accurate and cost-efficient fabrication and operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If complex mechanisms with additional gears are used for catheter articulation, then the control precision of catheter tip is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes unnecessary intermediate gears from the steering mechanism, directly coupling the control element to the pull wire mounting elements. This extraction of redundant components simplifies the device structure while maintaining precise control through the direct mechanical coupling of the control element to the pull wires.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a complex gear system to transmit rotational motion, the patent inverts the approach by using cross-cut threads on the control element that directly convert rotational motion into linear displacement of the pull wire mounting elements. This inverted mechanism achieves precise control without intermediate transmission components.
2Manufacturing precision
If additional gears are used in the actuating mechanism, then the actuation accuracy is improved, but the manufacturing cost and fabrication difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates additional gears from the actuating mechanism, reducing the number of components that require manufacturing. The cross-cut threads are integrated directly into the control element, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining actuation accuracy through the direct mechanical coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of the control element and the thread mechanism into a single integrated component. The cross-cut threads are formed directly on the control element, combining what would traditionally be separate components (control shaft and gear transmission) into one manufacturable part, thereby reducing fabrication complexity.
3Device complexity
If a simple actuating mechanism without additional gears is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the control precision for accurate steering may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional gear transmission approach by using cross-cut threads that directly convert rotational motion of the control element into precise linear displacement of the pull wire mounting elements. This inverted mechanism achieves accurate steering control without requiring complex intermediate transmission components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical gear transmission system with a direct threaded coupling mechanism. The cross-cut threads on the control element provide a direct mechanical coupling to the pull wire mounting elements, substituting complex gear mechanics with a simpler threaded fastening system that maintains precision.
4Reliability
If multiple components including gears are used, then the actuation mechanism is more robust, but the number of components and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes unnecessary intermediate components such as gears from the actuation mechanism. By directly coupling the control element to the pull wire mounting elements through cross-cut threads, the design reduces the total number of components while maintaining robustness through the direct mechanical connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple separate components (control element, thread mechanism, and coupling system) into an integrated assembly where the cross-cut threads are formed directly on the control element. This consolidation reduces the number of discrete parts that need to be manufactured, assembled, and maintained, thereby reducing cost and complexity while preserving functional reliability.
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 solution provides a simple, accurate, and cost-efficient steering system for catheters by reducing the number of components and minimizing tension in pull wires, enhancing the precision and reliability of catheter positioning during medical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The control element has a pair of cross-cut threads cross-cut in opposing directions around a longitudinal axis of the medical device handle, and a pair of pull wire mounting elements each having a mounting thread engaging with one of the cross-cut threads
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device handle for articulation of a catheter includes a housing having a cylindrical shape, a control element at least partly encompassed by the housing, the control element having a pair of cross-cut threads cross-cut in opposing directions around a longitudinal axis of the medical device handle, and a pair of pull wire mounting elements each having a mounting thread engaging with one of the cross-cut threads. The control element is mechanically coupled to each of the pull wire mounting elements via the cross-cut threads and the mounting threads without any additional gear in between. A rotation of the control element around the longitudinal axis moves the pull wire mounting elements in opposite linear directions along the longitudinal axis.