Cytology Brush Guide Wire Coupling and Stricture Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cytology brushes face challenges in effectively entering or crossing strictures during diagnostic procedures due to their design, which can lead to inadequate tissue sampling and false-negative diagnoses.
Innovation Solution
The cytology brush system incorporates a base wire with coiled loops configured to surround a guide wire, allowing the brush to be longitudinally movable and securely coupled to the guide wire for precise navigation through the body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a wire guided catheter is used to deliver the cytology brush to the stricture, then the brush can be guided through the body, but the brush tip with radially extending bristles redirects or impedes the delivery movement and makes it difficult to cross the stricture
Solution Approach 1:
The bristles are inverted from a radial configuration to a longitudinal configuration, where they extend parallel to the brush shaft rather than outward from it. This inversion eliminates the redirection problem and allows smooth passage through the stricture while maintaining sampling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The brush is designed with flexible components including a flexible shaft and bristles that can dynamically adapt to the stricture geometry. The bristles are configured to flex and conform to the tissue surface during advancement, enabling the brush to navigate complex anatomical paths while maintaining contact for sampling.
2Ease of operation
If the brush is delivered to a dilated region proximal to the stricture, then delivery is easier, but the brush cannot collect sufficient sample for proper diagnosis
Solution Approach 1:
The brush design concentrates the sampling function at the distal tip where the longitudinal bristles are positioned to contact the stricture tissue. The bristles have varying properties along their length, with distal portions optimized for tissue contact and proximal portions for sample retention, creating local quality variations that enable both easy delivery and effective sampling at the target site.
Solution Approach 2:
The sampling mechanism transitions from a radial bristle arrangement to a longitudinal arrangement, adding a new dimensional orientation for sample collection. This dimensional change allows the brush to collect samples by sliding along the tissue surface in the longitudinal direction rather than requiring radial expansion, enabling effective sampling at the stricture location.
3Measurement precision
If radially extending bristles are used at the brush tip, then tissue contact is achieved, but the bristles redirect or impede the delivery movement of the brush
Solution Approach 1:
The bristles are inverted from a radial configuration to a longitudinal configuration, where they extend parallel to the brush shaft rather than outward from it. This inversion eliminates the redirection problem and allows smooth passage through the stricture while maintaining sampling capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A cytology brush including a base wire having a distal end; at least one coiled loop; and a plurality of bristles. The coiled loop is configured to at least partially surround a portion of a guide wire such that the cytology brush is longitudinally movable along and adjacent to the guide wire.