Coaxial Balloon Catheter Shaft Segmentation for Reduced Diameter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional balloon catheters face challenges with increased shaft diameter due to overlapping guide wire and expansion lumens, leading to reduced pushability and longer expansion/contraction times, particularly in tortuous blood vessels.
Innovation Solution
The balloon catheter design separates the guide wire and expansion lumens, reducing the shaft diameter by forming only one lumen within the shaft, allowing for improved pushability and faster balloon expansion/contraction by using a coaxial shaft configuration with a blocking medium to isolate the lumens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the guide wire lumen and expansion lumen are formed together within the shaft, then the shaft structure is simplified, but the diameter of the shaft increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter shaft is divided into two separate coaxial shafts: a first shaft containing the expansion lumen and a second shaft containing the guide wire lumen. This segmentation allows each shaft to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining a compact overall profile, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and diameter reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The second shaft (containing the guide wire lumen) is positioned within or alongside the first shaft (containing the expansion lumen) in a coaxial arrangement. This nesting configuration allows both lumens to coexist without increasing the overall shaft diameter significantly, while maintaining separate functional pathways.
2Ease of manufacture
If the guide wire lumen and expansion lumen are formed together within the shaft, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the pushability of the catheter is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the shaft into two separate coaxial shafts with distinct lumens, the catheter achieves better pushability through optimized wall thickness and structural integrity in each shaft, while the modular design actually simplifies manufacturing by allowing independent fabrication and assembly of each shaft component.
3Device complexity
If the guide wire lumen and expansion lumen are formed together within the shaft, then the shaft design is simplified, but the balloon expansion time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The separation of the expansion lumen into a dedicated first shaft allows for a larger, optimized expansion lumen diameter without compromising the guide wire lumen functionality. This dedicated space enables faster contrast medium injection and quicker balloon expansion/contraction cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
By transitioning from a single shaft with overlapping lumens to a coaxial two-shaft configuration, the patent creates additional spatial dimensionality that allows the expansion lumen to be enlarged in the radial direction, thereby reducing expansion time while maintaining shaft design efficiency.
4Device complexity
If the guide wire lumen and expansion lumen are formed together within the shaft, then the overall structure is simplified, but multiple balloon catheters cannot enter simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The coaxial two-shaft design with separated lumens reduces the overall catheter profile and optimizes the distribution of structural materials, enabling thinner wall thickness while maintaining strength. This segmentation allows multiple catheters to be introduced simultaneously through the guide catheter.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a balloon catheter. The invention comprises: a first shaft; an expandable balloon which is attached to the front end of the first shaft; an expandable lumen which is formed inside the first shaft and to which a liquid required for expanding the balloon is provided; a second shaft which extends from the front end of the first shaft to which the balloon is attached and has a wire hole through which a guide wire passes; and a guide wire lumen, which is formed inside the second shaft and through which the guide wire passes. According to the invention, the first and second shafts are coaxially connected and the expandable lumen and the guide wire lumen are respectively formed in each shaft in order to reduce the overall diameter of the shaft, thereby facilitating surgery and improving pushability.