Catheter Tip Spring Segmentation for Flexibility and Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current catheter tips for stent delivery and angioplasty systems face challenges in optimizing both longitudinal flexibility and radial rigidity, as materials that provide pushability and radial support often compromise deliverability through tortuous vessels and stented areas.
Innovation Solution
A catheter tip design combining a spring-like structure for longitudinal flexibility and a radially rigid, tapered distal end, made from stiff materials like polyamide, to enhance navigation and prevent flaring or kinking, while maintaining pushability and radio-opacity for improved deliverability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the catheter tip is made from thick or stiff material to provide pushability and radial rigidity, then the catheter can resist collapse and kinking, but the catheter loses longitudinal flexibility and cannot navigate tortuous vessels
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tip is divided into multiple segments including a distal tip portion, an intermediate portion, and a proximal portion. Each segment has different structural characteristics - the distal tip is radially rigid while the proximal portion has longitudinal flexibility, allowing the catheter to navigate tortuous vessels while maintaining radial support at the tip
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter tip employs composite construction with the distal tip made from radially rigid material and the proximal portion made from longitudinally flexible material. This composite structure allows simultaneous achievement of radial rigidity for pushability and longitudinal flexibility for navigation through tortuous vessels
2Adaptability or versatility
If the catheter tip is made from thin or flexible material to navigate tortuous vessels, then the catheter has longitudinal flexibility, but the catheter lacks radial rigidity and may collapse or kink when obstacles are encountered
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tip is segmented into a distal radially rigid portion and a proximal longitudinally flexible portion, allowing the thin flexible material to navigate tortuous vessels while the thick rigid distal tip maintains radial support and prevents collapse when encountering obstacles
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the catheter tip have different material properties - the distal tip has high radial rigidity for obstacle resistance, while the proximal portion has high longitudinal flexibility for navigation, allowing each local region to optimize its function
3Ease of operation
If the catheter tip is tapered to optimize deliverability, then the catheter can navigate tortuous vessels, but the distal edge may flare or catch on plaque and stent struts
Solution Approach 1:
The distal tip is pre-formed with a rounded, non-flaring geometry before insertion. This preliminary shaping prevents the distal edge from flaring or catching on plaque and stent struts during navigation, while the overall tapered configuration maintains deliverability through tortuous vessels
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 catheter tip effectively navigates tortuous and stented vessels with reduced risk of catching or buckling, ensuring efficient delivery of stents and minimizing damage to vessel walls, while providing valuable feedback through higher radio-opacity.
Implementation Method 1
The first component of the catheter tip includes a spring-like structure that endows the catheter tip with the desired longitudinal flexibility and pushability
Implementation Method 2
The second component of the catheter tip - the distal end - provides radial rigidity and is rounded and tapered to prevent the distal edge from flaring and catching on, for example, plaque or the strut of a previously implanted stent as the catheter is moved through the vessel
Data Source
Figure 1~1A
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A catheter tip that provides longitudinal flexibility, pushability and radial rigidity thereby improving deliverability is provided. The catheter tip includes a spring-like element to provide longitudinal flexibility and pushability to the catheter tip. The spring-like element may also provide radial support to the distal edge of the catheter tip. Alternatively, a radially rigid distal end may also be included distal of the spring-like element. The apparatus may be used with any interventional catheter system, but is particularly suitable for use with balloon-expandable stent systems and balloon-angioplasty systems, where flexibility of the catheter tip and minimal flaring of the distal edge of the catheter tip is desirable.