Detachable Coil Release System With Ball-Socket Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical implant deployment systems for embolic coils face challenges in precise placement and release due to stiffness issues caused by stiff elements like pusher wires and heat-responsive couplings, which hinder navigation through vasculature and can lead to unpredictable coil movement during release.
Innovation Solution
A medical implant deployment system featuring a coupling assembly with a releasable engagement mechanism, where a release member moves from a first configuration to a second configuration to uncouple the engagement member from the coupling member, allowing precise control over the release of the embolic coil within a catheter, minimizing stiffness and maintaining coil positioning accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pusher wire is used to push the coil out of the catheter, then the coil can be released at the desired location, but the catheter becomes very stiff and difficult to guide through the vasculature
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the release mechanism into separate functional components: a flexible catheter for navigation and a separate engagement member with ball and socket interface for reliable coil retention and release. The pusher wire only needs to move the engagement member, not push the entire coil assembly, reducing the required force and maintaining catheter flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement member acts as an intermediary between the pusher wire and the coil. Instead of the pusher wire directly pushing the coil (which requires high force and stiffness), the pusher wire moves the engagement member, which then releases the coil through the ball-socket mechanism. This intermediary reduces the mechanical coupling and allows the catheter to remain flexible.
2Reliability
If a stiff pusher wire extends through the entire length of the catheter to push the attachment ball out, then the coil can be released, but the catheter stiffness increases making it difficult to guide through vasculature
Solution Approach 1:
The release mechanism is segmented so that the pusher wire only needs to traverse part of the catheter length and interact with the engagement member, rather than extending through the entire catheter and directly pushing the coil. This reduces the mechanical constraints on the catheter and allows it to remain flexible for navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement member provides a dynamic release mechanism where the ball can be held in the socket during navigation and then easily disengaged when needed. This dynamic interface allows the system to transition from a locked state (during delivery) to a released state (at deployment) without requiring the catheter to be stiff throughout.
3Reliability
If a ball larger than the coil diameter is used in a socket at the catheter distal end, then the coil can be retained and released by pushing the ball out, but a stiff pusher wire is required causing catheter stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement member with the ball-socket interface serves multiple functions: it retains the coil during navigation, allows precise positioning, and enables reliable release. This multi-functional component eliminates the need for separate retention and release mechanisms, simplifying the overall device while maintaining reliability.
4Productivity
If the distal end of the catheter is used to push the coil out with a guidewire, then the coil can be released, but there is very little control over the exact placement of the coil
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement member with the ball-socket interface preliminarily secures the coil at the desired position before release. The ball is held in the socket at the precise location, and only when the engagement member is actuated does the coil release. This preliminary positioning ensures accurate placement while maintaining deployment efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement member provides mechanical feedback by maintaining a locked state during navigation and delivery, confirming that the coil is securely retained. When the release mechanism is actuated, the disengagement of the ball from the socket provides immediate feedback that the coil has been released, ensuring precise control over the deployment timing and location.
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
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AI summary
A medical implant deployment system for placing an implant at a preselected site comprising a deployment system that includes a mechanical coupling assembly at the distal end of a delivery member that engages the proximal end of the implant and a release member having an extended configuration in which the release member cooperatively maintains the coupling assembly engagement with the implant proximal end and a retracted configuration where the release member allows the coupling assembly to disengage from the implant proximal end. An attachable handle assembly is provided to place the release member in the retracted configuration allowing the coupling assembly to disengage from the implant proximal end, thereby releasing the implant.