Coupling Component for Simultaneous Shaft Translation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for treating cardiovascular system issues, such as defective heart valves, often require invasive procedures and have limitations in delivering and deploying medical implants efficiently within the body.
Innovation Solution
A medical device system comprising an outer shaft, an inner catheter, an actuation shaft, and a tubular guidewire shaft, where the actuation shaft and tubular guidewire shaft are coupled to a coupling component, allowing simultaneous translation and deployment of medical implants, such as heart valves, through a percutaneous approach, reducing invasiveness and enhancing delivery precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional invasive procedures are used to deliver and deploy medical implants, then the implantation can be completed, but the invasiveness increases and tissue damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested structure where the implantable medical device is positioned within an inner catheter, which is itself contained within an outer shaft. The actuation shaft and tubular guidewire shaft are nested within the inner catheter's lumen. This nested configuration allows the entire assembly to be delivered through a percutaneous approach, minimizing tissue damage while maintaining precise delivery capability through the hierarchical containment structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery system is divided into distinct functional segments: an outer shaft for structural support, an inner catheter for device containment, an actuation shaft for deployment control, and a tubular guidewire shaft for positioning. The coupling component further segments the actuation mechanism by independently coupling the actuation shaft and guidewire shaft to the implantable device, allowing precise control of deployment while maintaining a minimally invasive percutaneous profile.
2Productivity
If a coupling component is used to couple multiple shafts, then simultaneous translation is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling component serves multiple functions simultaneously: it couples the actuation shaft to the implantable medical device for deployment actuation, couples the tubular guidewire shaft to the implantable device for positioning control, and enables simultaneous translation of both shafts through a single actuation motion. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate coupling mechanisms, thereby managing complexity while achieving efficient simultaneous control of multiple delivery elements.
Data Source
AI summary
Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example system for delivering an implantable medical device includes an outer shaft and an inner catheter, each having a proximal end, a distal portion and a lumen extending therein, wherein the inner catheter extends within a portion of the outer shaft lumen. The system also includes an actuation shaft extending within a portion of the inner catheter lumen, wherein a distal end of the actuation shaft is coupled to the implantable medical device. The system also includes a guidewire shaft extending within a portion of the inner catheter lumen and a coupling component including a distal end region, a proximal end region and a length, wherein the actuation shaft and the guidewire shaft are coupled to the coupling component such that actuation of the coupling component translates the actuation shaft and the tubular guidewire shaft simultaneously.