Eccentric Guide Extension Catheter for Coronary Position Stability

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing guide catheters face challenges in maintaining position during interventional procedures, especially in challenging anatomy with robust occlusions, leading to dislodgment and difficulty in accessing discrete regions of coronary vasculature.

Innovation Solution

A guide extension catheter comprising an elongate tube member and a push member, eccentrically coupled to secure the tube member within and beyond the guide catheter, with a manipulation member for stabilization, allowing secure placement and alignment of interventional devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a guide catheter is used to treat coronary artery disease, then access to the coronary artery ostium is achieved, but the guide catheter may be dislodged from its position during the procedure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguide catheter position stabilityVSAvoiddifficulty to treat certain forms of coronary artery disease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The guide extension catheter is nested within the guide catheter, with the extension catheter's outer diameter configured to be received within the guide catheter's inner diameter. This nesting arrangement allows the extension catheter to be inserted through the guide catheter and extend beyond its distal end, providing additional support and stability to prevent dislodgment while maintaining access to the coronary artery ostium

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Strength

If a coaxial guide catheter is used to provide additional backup support, then support for the guide catheter is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebackup supportVSAvoidcoaxial guide catheter configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide extension catheter is divided into distinct functional segments: a flexible elongate tube member for navigation and access, a substantially rigid push member for providing backup support and preventing catheter collapse, and a manipulation member for securing and positioning. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall system manageability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If the guide extension catheter is secured in place during the operation, then instrument stability is improved, but the ease of operation decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstrument stabilityVSAvoiddifficulty to re-access treatment site
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The manipulation member provides dynamic control of the guide extension catheter, allowing the operator to secure the catheter in place during the procedure when stability is needed, and to release or reposition it when instrument adjustment or re-access is required. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction between stability and ease of operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3886722B1Guide extension catheter
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 TELEFLEX LIFE SCIENCES LLC
  • EP3886722B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3886722B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3886722B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Guide extension catheters and related methods are disclosed. A guide extension catheter can comprise an elongate tube member, a push member, and an external manipulation member. The push member can be eccentrically coupled relative to the tube member and extend proximally therefrom for slidably positioning the tube member within and partially beyond a distal end of a guide catheter. The manipulation member can be coupled to a proximal end of the push member, where the manipulation member can be configured to secure the guide extension catheter in place during use by attaching to an external object such that the tube member and push member remain stationary without user engagement.