Catheter Sensor Wire Wrapping Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elongated catheters with sensors experience strain and connection failures due to bending forces during use, leading to reduced useful life, especially when used in procedures like bronchoscopy where remote navigation and instrument insertion are required.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing a flexible catheter with a locatable sensor using a spool carrier and drive motor to twist and wrap a continuous wire around the catheter body, forming a twisted pair that eliminates soldered connections and enhances robustness, allowing for improved durability and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If soldered connections are used to fabricate the sensor, then the sensor can be assembled from discrete wires, but the soldered connections experience strain from bending forces leading to wire and connection failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes soldered connections entirely from the sensor assembly. Instead of using discrete wires with soldered joints, the sensor is constructed from a single continuous wire that is formed and shaped without any joining processes, thereby eliminating the failure point of soldered connections under bending strain.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a single continuous wire structure that integrates multiple functional elements (sensor elements, connections, and structural support) into one unified component. This composite approach replaces the multi-component discrete wire assembly with soldered joints, creating a more reliable structure that can withstand bending forces.
2Ease of manufacture
If discrete wires with soldered connections are used, then the sensor can be assembled, but the distal end of the catheter experiences strain leading to reduced useful life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates soldered connections and discrete wire assemblies from the sensor construction. By using a single continuous wire that is formed into the sensor structure without any joining processes, the design removes the weak points that would fail under repeated bending, thereby extending the catheter's useful life.
3Reliability
If a single continuous wire is used to form the sensor, then soldered connections are eliminated and robustness is enhanced, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex requiring specialized equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs preliminary forming actions where the single continuous wire is pre-shaped and pre-positioned on the catheter body before final assembly. The wire is formed into the required sensor geometry and secured in place through forming processes that prepare the structure for subsequent steps, simplifying the overall manufacturing sequence despite the specialized equipment needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical joining system of soldering with a forming-based system. Instead of using thermal and mechanical processes to join discrete wires, the design uses wire forming and shaping processes that create the sensor structure directly from a single continuous wire, eliminating the need for soldering equipment and processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a flexible catheter with a locatable sensor includes non-rotatably coupling a spool with a wire to a first portion of a spool carrier, non-rotatably coupling the spool carrier to a catheter body, and rotating the spool carrier with the catheter body, thereby wrapping a portion of the wire about a distal end portion of the catheter body to form a wrapping layer.