Catheter Simulator Heart Model Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing catheter simulators fail to accurately replicate the blood flow in coronary arteries, leading to unnatural flow conditions and complications during training, and require complex structures with electronic components for pulsation, limiting their practicality and realism.
Innovation Solution
A container-based catheter simulator system that allows for the selection and switching of heart models, including a four-chamber heart model, coronary artery model, and TAVI model, with integrated terminals for connection and a pump for pulsatile flow, enabling realistic simulation of various catheter procedures without the need for complex electronic components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If liquid is supplied to coronary artery through aortic side in catheter simulator, then liquid circulation is achieved, but blood flow in coronary artery becomes unnatural and different from real human body
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of supplying liquid to the coronary artery through the aortic side (conventional approach), the invention supplies liquid directly to the coronary artery from the exterior of the container. This inverted approach eliminates the unnatural flow patterns that occur when liquid circulates through the aorta first, thereby achieving more realistic blood flow conditions in the coronary artery while simplifying the training setup.
2Reliability
If electronic valve and pressure sensor are used to control liquid supply amount, then heart model pulsation is achieved, but device structure becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the complex electronic control components (electronic valve, pressure sensor, electronic valve controller) from the system. Instead of using these electronic parts to control liquid supply and achieve heart model pulsation, the design employs a simpler mechanical or manual control mechanism, thereby maintaining heart pulsation functionality while dramatically reducing device complexity and component count.
Solution Approach 2:
The heart model is designed to achieve pulsation through its own structural characteristics and the natural properties of the liquid supply system, rather than requiring external electronic control. The elastomeric material of the heart model and the pressure dynamics of liquid supply work together to produce realistic pulsation automatically, eliminating the need for complex electronic valves and sensors.
3Quantity of substance
If supply tube and discharge tube are connected to main body of heart for liquid circulation, then liquid flow is achieved, but unnatural flow occurs inside main body and flow may go back to coronary artery
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the liquid supply system into separate, dedicated pathways: one for supplying liquid to the coronary artery and another for draining liquid from the coronary artery. This segmentation prevents the mixing and unnatural flow patterns that occur when supply and discharge tubes are connected to the main body, thereby ensuring accurate and realistic blood flow conditions in the coronary artery while maintaining proper liquid circulation.
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
Enables convenient and realistic training for multiple catheter procedures by simulating various heart conditions, improving user proficiency with the ability to switch models and use a pulsatile flow, thus enhancing the training experience and reducing equipment complexity.
Implementation Method 1
an external pump that produces a pulsatile flow
Data Source
AI summary
A heart model is retained in a container for a catheter simulator. The container includes an accommodating unit for accommodating a liquid, having side walls and a bottom surface, a connection unit attached to one of the side walls and retaining the heart model, and an installation part provided on one of the side walls. The installation part is configured to insert a catheter from an outside of the container into the simulated blood vessel of the heart model. The connection unit includes a holding protrusion protruding inside the accommodating unit, and a communicating hole. A front end of the holding protrusion is open so that the heart model is detachable from and reattachable to the holding protrusion by inserting and extracting a terminal of the heart model.