IV Catheter Probe Delivery Mechanism for Occlusion Clearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing IV catheters often become occluded, making it difficult to perform tasks such as blood withdrawal or fluid infusion, and current methods to clear occlusions can cause trauma to the vasculature.
Innovation Solution
A probe delivery device with a housing and spool mechanism that allows for the advancement and retraction of a probe within the catheter, using wheels and seals to facilitate smooth movement and minimize trauma.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a needle or wire is inserted through the catheter to remove occlusion, then the occlusion can be cleared, but trauma to the vasculature is caused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a probe delivery device as an intermediary tool that can be advanced through the catheter to clear occlusions. The device includes a probe that can be pushed through the occluded catheter by a delivery mechanism, allowing removal of thrombi or fibrin sheaths without requiring direct needle insertion into the vasculature, thus reducing trauma while maintaining occlusion clearance capability
Solution Approach 2:
The occlusion removal system is divided into separate functional components: a probe for contacting and removing the occlusion, and a delivery device for advancing the probe through the catheter. This segmentation allows the probe to be specialized for gentle occlusion removal while the delivery device handles the invasive advancement, reducing overall trauma compared to using a single needle-based approach
2Reliability
If a probe is advanced through the catheter to clear occlusion, then occlusion can be removed, but the procedure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The probe is nested within the delivery device, with the probe positioned inside a protective sheath or catheter that guides it through the occluded IV catheter. This nested arrangement allows the complex probe-delivery combination to be managed as an integrated unit, simplifying the procedure by pre-assembling the components rather than requiring separate insertion steps
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery device incorporates a self-advancing mechanism that uses the pressure differential created during IV fluid infusion to automatically push the probe through the catheter and clear the occlusion. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex manual manipulation or additional power sources, reducing procedural complexity while maintaining effective occlusion removal
3Reliability
If the catheter becomes occluded, then fluid infusion and blood withdrawal are prevented, but the catheter remains in place
Solution Approach 1:
The probe delivery device is designed to be advanced through the catheter before complete occlusion occurs, allowing prevention of total functional loss. The device can clear partial occlusions or fibrin sheaths that form during catheter use, maintaining catheter functionality and preventing complete blockage rather than addressing total occlusion after it has occurred
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery device utilizes changes in pressure parameters - specifically, the pressure differential generated during IV fluid infusion - to drive the probe through the catheter and clear occlusions. By leveraging the existing pressure flow dynamics of the IV system rather than introducing separate mechanical force, the method maintains catheter functionality while efficiently removing occlusions without requiring additional complex mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
A probe delivery device can include a probe delivery mechanism that facilitates advancing a probe through an IV catheter. The probe delivery mechanism can be housed within a compartment of the probe delivery device and can include a probe that extends from the compartment into a fluid pathway formed within the probe delivery device. A portion of the probe delivery mechanism can extend out from the housing to enable a clinician to advance and retract the probe. The probe delivery device may include a vacuum tube receiver or a connector to enable a blood draw or fluid injection to be performed using the probe delivery device.