Echogenic Catheter Spherical Tip Diffuse Reflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultrasonic imaging of catheters in medical procedures is hindered by visualization anomalies such as artifacts and overly bright images, which can mislead the placement of catheters within patients due to their highly reflective nature, obscuring adjacent anatomy.
Innovation Solution
The development of an echogenic needle catheter with a spherical distal tip that diffusely reflects sonic energy over a wide range of angles, reducing direct echo amplitudes and producing diffuse echoes, allowing for improved imaging and rotational orientation determination within ultrasonic imaging systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional non-spherical catheter tips are used, then the catheter structure is simpler to manufacture, but the ultrasonic imaging coverage is limited to angles not greater than 180°
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tip is designed with a spherical geometry instead of conventional non-spherical shapes. This spherical configuration enables the tip to be directly imaged from substantially all angles (greater than 180°) relative to the longitudinal axis, dramatically improving ultrasonic imaging coverage while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturable form.
2Illumination intensity
If high gain settings are used to improve anatomy visibility, then the anatomical structures become more visible, but the catheter image and artifacts become overly bright and obscure the anatomy
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter shaft material properties are modified to change its acoustic reflection characteristics. Specifically, the shaft is designed to reduce the amplitude of direct echoes while producing diffuse echoes, allowing gain settings to be optimized for anatomy visibility without the catheter appearing overly bright or creating obscuring artifacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The highly reflective nature of the catheter, which originally caused problematic bright artifacts, is converted into a beneficial feature by designing the spherical tip to diffusely reflect sonic energy. This diffusion transforms the harmful concentrated reflections into useful scattered echoes that improve imaging without creating obscuring bright spots.
3Measurement precision
If the catheter shaft produces strong direct echoes for good visibility, then the catheter position is easily tracked, but the adjacent anatomy image is obscured by the catheter image
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the catheter are given different acoustic reflection properties. The spherical tip is designed to produce diffuse reflections for comprehensive angular imaging, while the shaft is designed to reduce direct echo amplitudes. This localized differentiation allows the catheter to be tracked without obscuring adjacent anatomy.
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
This design enhances the visibility of the catheter tip and shaft in ultrasonic images, reducing artifacts and misinterpretation, while maintaining the ability to accurately position the catheter within the patient's anatomy, thereby improving diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Implementation Method 1
the tip of the catheter is directly imaged over a range of angles (relative to the catheter) substantially greater than 180°
Implementation Method 2
ultrasonic imaging (also referred to as acoustic imaging) would provide several advantages
Data Source
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AI summary
An echogenic medical device, such as a needle catheter, which produces an improved ultrasonic image of the device, and a method of performing a medical procedure using a device of the invention. One aspect is directed to a catheter which reduces artifacts in the ultrasound image of the catheter. In one embodiment, the catheter has a spherical distal tip. Another aspect of the invention is directed to an echogenic catheter with echogenic portions arranged in an array to facilitate determination by ultrasonic imaging of the rotational orientation of the catheter relative to a desired location within the patient.