Composite Guide Wire Core for Torque and Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guide wires face challenges in achieving a balance between ease of reshaping at the distal portion, torquability, and maintaining safe pushability and tensile strength, especially during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures where blood vessels are complexly curved.
Innovation Solution
A guide wire design featuring a reshaping portion with a core wire made of different materials, such as stainless steel and Ni—Ti alloy, where the joint surface follows the longitudinal direction, allowing for easy reshaping and enhanced torquability, while maintaining sufficient strength and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the distal portion of the core is made thin to improve flexibility and safety during PTCA, then pushability decreases and the guide wire may penetrate the blood vessel wall, but tensile strength must be maintained to avoid breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The core wire is constructed as a composite structure with a stainless steel portion (high strength) and a Ni-Ti alloy portion (high flexibility). This composite material approach allows the guide wire to simultaneously achieve sufficient tensile strength to prevent breakage and adequate flexibility to safely navigate curved blood vessels without penetration
2Ease of manufacture
If the core wire is made of a single material to simplify manufacturing, then manufacturing is easier, but it is difficult to achieve coexistence of improvement in reshaping ease and torquability while maintaining safe pushability and tensile strength
Solution Approach 1:
The guide wire employs a composite core wire structure with distinct stainless steel and Ni-Ti alloy portions, each contributing specific properties. While this increases manufacturing complexity compared to a single-material wire, it enables the simultaneous achievement of tensile strength, flexibility, torquability, and reshaping capability that a single material cannot provide
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 guide wire enables easy reshaping and improved torquability at the distal portion, enhancing maneuverability and safety during procedures by combining materials with high strength and flexibility, respectively.
Implementation Method 1
a second material portion which is made of a second material different from the first material and is joined to the first material portion
Implementation Method 2
reshaping portion, which can be reshaped, at a distal portion
Implementation Method 3
a first material portion made of a first material... made of stainless steel... maintaining sufficient strength and flexibility
Data Source
AI summary
A guide wire includes an elongated core wire possessing a distal portion at which is located a reshaping portion that is configured to be reshaped. The reshaping portion includes a first material portion made of a first material and a second material portion which is made of a second material different than the first material. The first material portion is joined to the second material portion at a joint surface which extends in the longitudinal direction of the core wire.