Deformable-Lumen Catheters for Particle Passage and Imaging Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small lumen catheters face issues with particles sticking or clumping, preventing the passage of larger particles and insufficient flow rates of contrast agents, which hinder effective delivery and imaging procedures.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating deformable lumens that change configuration to increase space within the catheter, allowing for larger particles to pass and ensuring sufficient flow rates of contrast agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a small lumen catheter is used, then the catheter can be inserted into narrow vessels, but particles in the agent tend to stick or clump together and block the lumen
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs a dynamic lumen that can change its cross-sectional area from a collapsed state during navigation to an expanded state during agent delivery. This dynamic transformation allows the same catheter structure to satisfy both the requirement for small size during insertion and sufficient space for particle flow during treatment, resolving the contradiction between insertability and lumen patency.
2Length of moving object
If a small lumen catheter is used, then the catheter profile is reduced, but larger particles cannot pass through the lumen
Solution Approach 1:
The deformable lumen allows the catheter to present a small profile during navigation and then expand to accommodate larger particles during agent delivery. This dynamic size adjustment enables the catheter to be both insertable into narrow vessels and capable of delivering agents containing larger particles, resolving the contradiction between profile reduction and particle passage capability.
3Length of moving object
If a small lumen catheter is used, then the catheter size is minimized, but contrast agent flow rate is insufficient for clear imaging
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter utilizes a dynamic lumen that expands during contrast agent delivery to increase flow rate sufficient for clear imaging, while maintaining a small collapsed profile during navigation. This resolves the contradiction between minimized catheter size and adequate contrast agent flow rate by allowing the lumen to adapt its size to the specific operational requirement.
Data Source
AI summary
Medical delivery devices, such as catheters, and methods of use and manufacture of the medical delivery devices. The medical delivery devices are adapted to facilitate delivery of an agent into a patient. The medical delivery devices may have one or more deformable lumens, each lumen of the one or more deformable lumens has a collapsed configuration and an open configuration. The medical delivery devices may include one or more agent delivery ports, any agent delivery port of the one or more agent delivery ports may be proximal or distal to an expandable device, such as a balloon.