Echogenic Electrosurgical Guidewires for Ultrasound Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrosurgical guidewires lack adequate echogenicity for effective visualization during procedures like transseptal punctures, which complicates device advancement due to poor echocardiographic visibility, especially in fluoroscopy-free settings.
Innovation Solution
The guidewires feature a core wire segment with an outer surface treatment to impart an echogenic texture, enhancing ultrasound visibility without compromising stiffness or insulation, and may include a coiled wire for further echogenicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a core-only guidewire design is used to maximize stiffness at a given diameter, then guidewire stiffness is improved, but echogenicity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by treating only a specific segment of the core wire surface to create echogenic irregularities, rather than modifying the entire wire. This localized surface treatment (through etching, coating, or texturing) enhances ultrasound visibility in the critical imaging zone while preserving the overall stiffness and structural integrity of the core-only design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the acoustic 'color' or reflective properties of the guidewire surface through echogenic treatments. By altering the surface texture, coating with echogenic materials, or etching the core wire, the guidewire reflects ultrasound waves more effectively, making it visible on echocardiographic imaging without changing the fundamental core-only structure.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If coil wire is added to improve echogenicity, then echogenicity is improved, but guidewire diameter increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the echogenic function from the traditional coil wire structure and applies it directly to the core wire surface through treatments such as etching, coating, or texturing. This eliminates the need for an additional coil wire layer, maintaining the core-only design's diameter advantages while achieving the desired echogenicity through surface modification alone.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If coil wire is added to improve echogenicity, then echogenicity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the echogenic function with the core wire itself by applying surface treatments, coatings, or textures directly to the core wire. This integration eliminates the need for a separate coil wire component, simplifying the overall guidewire structure to a core-only design while maintaining adequate echogenicity for echocardiographic visualization.
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 treated segment significantly improves ultrasound visibility, facilitating device advancement and procedural accuracy by providing clear imaging guidance during electrosurgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
the thin coil wire structure creates a surface texture that helps ultrasound waves emitted by an ultrasound transducer to 'echo' or reflect back to the ultrasound transducer
Data Source
AI summary
An electrosurgical guidewire including a core wire. The core wire having a treated segment with an outer surface treated to impart an echogenic texture to the outer surface of the treated segment. The echogenic texture operating to increase ultrasound visibility of the treated segment.