Inwardly Bent Catheter Tip Preventing Pulmonary Vein Perforation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electro-physiology mapping catheters risk perforating the pulmonary vein during counter-clockwise rotation due to the tip catching onto the vein, leading to potential hemorrhaging and inability to retrieve the catheter, posing a risk to the patient.

Innovation Solution

The catheter features an elongated body with a circular mapping loop having an inwardly bent distal tip section that deflects radially inward, preventing contact with the pulmonary vein and reducing the likelihood of perforation, and includes a central bore for stylet accommodation to maintain a straightened configuration during vascular introduction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the mapping catheter loop is rotated counter-clockwise to map the pulmonary vein, then the mapping function is improved, but the tip may catch onto and perforate the pulmonary vein causing hemorrhaging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemapping functionVSAvoidpulmonary vein perforation

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter tip is inverted by bending it inward toward the center of the loop, reversing the conventional outward-pointing tip design. This inversion ensures the tip cannot catch onto the pulmonary vein during counter-clockwise rotation, eliminating the perforation risk while preserving mapping capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The inward bend creates preliminary anti-action by pre-positioning the tip in a protected orientation before rotation occurs. The tip is already configured to deflect away from the vein wall, preventing the harmful catching action before it can occur during the mapping rotation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Stability of the object's composition

If the catheter tip is made rigid to maintain shape during insertion, then the structural stability is improved, but the tip may penetrate heart tissue when contacted in flat orientation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidheart tissue penetration

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter applies local quality by creating a specific bent configuration at the tip region while maintaining the overall structural integrity of the catheter body. The tip has a localized inward bend that provides both shape maintenance and tissue protection, combining rigidity where needed with flexibility where critical

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the loop configuration is modified to prevent tip contact, then the safety is improved, but the retrieval difficulty may increase if the loop exits the pulmonary vein

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidretrieval difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter design incorporates dynamic characteristics by allowing the loop to flex and the tip to deflect during rotation and retrieval operations. This dynamic behavior enables the loop to navigate the pulmonary vein safely while maintaining retrievability through controlled manipulation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10292612B2Electro-physiology mapping catheter loop having atraumatic tip section

Publication Date: 2019.05.21 OSCOR INC

AI summary

An electro-physiology mapping catheter is disclosed which includes an elongated body having opposed proximal and distal end portions and defining a longitudinal axis therebetween, the distal end portion of the body forming a generally circular mapping loop that extends through a plane oriented generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated body, the circular mapping loop having an inwardly bent distal tip section.