Catheter Heater Assembly With Angled Gas Passages and Iris Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing catheter manufacturing devices face issues with inefficient heat transfer, alignment difficulties, non-uniform heating, and waste heat dissipation, leading to inconsistencies and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A heating element with a central vertical passage and angled gas flow passages, combined with an insulation chamber and iris/variable orifice, enhances heat transfer efficiency and allows for consistent heating across various catheter diameters, minimizing waste heat and reducing the need for multiple heating elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a large heating element is used to heat the catheter body, then the heating capacity is sufficient, but the positioning consistency deteriorates leading to non-uniform heating and increased scrap rates
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is divided into multiple independent heating zones along its length, each capable of being controlled independently. This segmentation allows the heating element to maintain sufficient overall heating capacity while improving positioning consistency by enabling localized temperature control and compensation for positioning variations.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the heating element are designed with different heating characteristics to match the specific thermal requirements of different parts of the catheter body. This local quality approach ensures uniform heating across the entire catheter even when positioning varies, as each zone can be optimized for its specific location.
2Strength
If an external stainless-steel component is used in the heating element, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the heat transfer efficiency deteriorates due to low coefficient of thermal conductivity
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element employs a composite structure combining stainless-steel outer shell for structural integrity with an inner core made of high thermal conductivity material such as copper or copper alloy. This composite design maintains the mechanical strength provided by stainless steel while dramatically improving heat transfer efficiency through the high conductivity of the inner core.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner copper alloy tube acts as an intermediary heat transfer medium between the resistive heating element and the catheter body. It efficiently conducts heat from the heating element to the catheter while the outer stainless-steel component provides structural support and protection.
3Power
If the heating element is made longer to increase heating capacity, then the heating coverage is improved, but the alignment difficulty increases between the center line of the heating element and the catheter body
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is designed with a universal mounting and alignment system that allows it to be accurately positioned regardless of its length. Features such as adjustable mounting brackets, alignment guides, and standardized interface mechanisms enable the same heating element design to be used for different catheter sizes while maintaining precise alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
Mechanical alignment methods are supplemented or replaced with automated positioning systems including sensors, actuators, and control systems that can detect and correct alignment deviations in real-time, making the alignment process less dependent on manual precision and more reliant on automated feedback control.
4Productivity
If duplicate heating elements are mounted on one moving carriage to process multiple catheters per cycle, then the productivity is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple heating elements are merged onto a single integrated carriage assembly that moves as one unit. This combining approach maintains the productivity benefit of processing multiple catheters simultaneously while reducing the complexity that would arise from managing separate heating element systems. The unified carriage simplifies control, positioning, and maintenance.
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 consistent processing temperatures, reduces waste heat, and enables faster processing times while accommodating multiple catheter diameters with a single heating element, thereby improving manufacturing quality and reducing operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
The heating element is used to heat shrink a polymer around the exterior of the main catheter body shaft as well as heating the multi-layers of the catheter body
Implementation Method 2
ambient or cool air enters the heating element proximate to a bottom, and the air is heated by the interior of the heating element. The heated air effectuates a heat transfer to the sheathing polymers and the catheter body
Implementation Method 3
The shrink polymer is not a component of the finished catheter its purpose is to transmit heat energy to and provide radial compression force to bond or reflow the multi layers of the finished catheter body
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is directed to a heating assembly for catheter manufacture which includes a heating element having a central vertical passage and a plurality of gas flow passages in communication with the central passage. The passages are at an angle relative to the central passage increasing heat transfer surface area. The invention may also include an iris assembly. The iris assembly includes a plurality of discs having slits which are offset relative to another disc. The invention may also include an insulation chamber surrounding the heating element. The flow of gas previously heated by the exterior of the thermos coupler and heating element is restricted by the insulation chamber for passage through the gas flow passages and into the central passage, so that the gas receives additional heat for exposure to sheathing material to be bound to a catheter.