Delivery Needle Sleeve for Catheter Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing delivery needles lack effective mechanisms to align and protect elongate medical devices during insertion and withdrawal, leading to misalignment and damage, particularly when delivering catheters or leads into internal body locations like the epidural or intrathecal space.
Innovation Solution
A delivery needle apparatus featuring a sleeve fixedly attached to the exterior surface, which covers a portion of the delivery opening to align and protect elongate medical devices, ensuring proper alignment and preventing damage during insertion and withdrawal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a delivery needle is used to deliver elongate medical devices into internal body locations, then the device can be positioned in target areas, but the elongate medical device may become misaligned or damaged during insertion and withdrawal
Solution Approach 1:
A sleeve is introduced as an intermediary component between the delivery needle and the elongate medical device. The sleeve is fitted over the delivery needle and covers a proximal portion of the delivery opening, serving as a protective and aligning intermediary that prevents direct contact and potential damage between the needle structure and the medical device during insertion and withdrawal operations
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve is pre-positioned on the delivery needle before the elongate medical device is inserted. This preliminary action ensures that the alignment and protection mechanisms are already in place, allowing the medical device to be guided smoothly through the delivery opening without risk of misalignment or damage during the subsequent insertion and withdrawal processes
2Ease of operation
If the delivery opening is exposed, then the elongate medical device can be delivered, but the device lacks protection and alignment guidance during insertion and withdrawal
Solution Approach 1:
The sleeve acts as a mediator that covers the delivery opening while still allowing the elongate medical device to pass through. It provides a protected pathway that guides the device during insertion and withdrawal, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring reliability through proper alignment and protection
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve is constructed as a flexible covering that can accommodate the elongate medical device during insertion and withdrawal. This flexible shell structure provides protection and alignment guidance while maintaining the necessary flexibility for smooth device delivery through the delivery opening
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 sleeve effectively aligns and protects elongate medical devices, preventing misalignment and damage, facilitating precise placement and retrieval of devices like catheters and leads in internal body locations.
Implementation Method 1
the sleeve may be fixedly attached to the needle body by friction between an inner surface of the sleeve and the exterior surface of the needle body
Implementation Method 2
the sleeve may be fixedly attached to the needle body by adhesive located between an inner surface of the sleeve and the exterior surface of the needle body
Data Source
AI summary
A delivery needle apparatus in which a sleeve is fitted over an exterior surface of a delivery needle and methods of manufacturing the same. An elongate medical device may be delivered through the interior of the delivery needle and out of an opening in the distal end of the delivery needle (i.e., the delivery opening). The sleeve may cover a proximal portion of the delivery opening and may align an elongate medical device during insertion and/or withdrawal through the delivery opening.