Distal Stabilizer Mesh Structure for Catheter Pull-Force Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Treatment catheters with high rigidity and large outer diameter cause displacement of the cylindrical portion locked in a biological lumen, especially in highly bent tortuous vessels, requiring time and effort to deliver to the target position.
Innovation Solution
A distal stabilizer with a linear delivery member and a cylindrical portion locked to the lumen using a mesh pattern structure, featuring a more deformable proximal side with larger cell openings, allowing the distal stabilizer to suppress displacement by relaxing the pulling force on the delivery wire.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a treatment catheter with large outer diameter and high rigidity is used, then the treatment catheter can effectively deliver treatment to the target position, but the treatment catheter repeatedly applies pulling force to the microcatheter or delivery wire, causing displacement of the locked cylindrical portion
Solution Approach 1:
The cylindrical portion is designed with non-uniform mesh pattern structures where different sections have different cell opening areas. The distal side has smaller cell opening areas providing strong locking force against the vessel wall, while the proximal side has larger cell opening areas that allow deformation to absorb pulling forces. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by maintaining position stability through the distal locking structure while accommodating treatment catheter rigidity requirements through the proximal deformable structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh pattern structure parameters (cell opening area, strut thickness, mesh density) are varied along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion. By changing these parameters from distal to proximal, the structural properties transition from rigid and locking-oriented to flexible and force-absorbing. This parameter variation allows the same component to simultaneously provide stable locking and accommodate high rigidity treatment catheters without displacement.
2Ease of operation
If the treatment catheter is advanced through highly bent tortuous blood vessels, then the treatment catheter can reach the target position, but the treatment catheter is easily caught on bent portions or bifurcated portions, requiring repeated pulling operations that displace the locked cylindrical portion
Solution Approach 1:
The cylindrical portion transitions from a static locking structure to a dynamic system where the proximal mesh pattern structure can deform in response to pulling forces. When the treatment catheter encounters resistance in tortuous vessels and requires pulling operations, the deformable proximal section absorbs these dynamic forces through elastic deformation, preventing the need to retrieve and re-lock the cylindrical portion, thus saving time and maintaining operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable proximal mesh pattern structure acts as a pre-designed cushioning element that anticipates and absorbs pulling forces before they can cause displacement of the locked cylindrical portion. This beforehand cushioning capability is particularly valuable in tortuous vessels where multiple pulling operations may be needed, as it prevents the harmful effect of displacement while allowing the necessary pulling actions to proceed.
3Ease of manufacture
If the cylindrical portion is designed with uniform mesh pattern structure, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the cylindrical portion cannot effectively suppress displacement when pulling forces are applied
Solution Approach 1:
The cylindrical portion is segmented into functional zones with different mesh pattern characteristics. The distal side features one mesh pattern configuration optimized for locking, while the proximal side features another mesh pattern configuration optimized for deformation. This segmentation can be achieved through modular manufacturing or sequential forming processes, balancing the ease of manufacture with the need for differentiated functional regions to ensure reliability against displacement.
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 distal stabilizer effectively prevents displacement of the locked cylindrical portion, facilitating easier and more efficient delivery of treatment catheters to the target location, even in highly bent vessels, by distributing the pulling force and allowing for smoother navigation.
Implementation Method 1
a cylindrical portion that extends from a distal end of the linear delivery member and is locked to an inner wall of the biological lumen by a mesh pattern structure
Implementation Method 2
includes an easily deformable portion on a proximal side of the range of the effective length, such that the proximal side is more deformable than a distal side of the effective length
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a distal stabilizer capable of suppressing a positional misalignment of a cylindrical part locked in a biological lumen. This distal stabilizer 1, used for catheter delivery in a biological lumen, comprises: a linear delivery member; and a cylindrical part 2 which extends from a distal end of the linear delivery member and locked to the inner wall of the biological lumen by means of a mesh pattern structure, wherein the cylindrical part 2 has, on the proximal side in the range of the effective length thereof, an easily deformable section 14 which more easily deforms than the distal side of the cylindrical part.