Embedded Wire Loop Tip for Catheter Kinking and Torqueability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Elongate medical devices, such as catheters and wire guides, face challenges in navigating tortuous paths within the body due to their flexibility, which can lead to kinking and reduced torqueability, increasing the risk of traumatizing vessel walls.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a loop tip formed by embedded wires that provide stiffness and resistance to kinking, enhancing torqueability while reducing trauma to vessel walls, with the loop tip allowing for improved navigation through bodily vessels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the medical device is made more flexible to navigate tortuous paths, then the ability to navigate through bends and curves is improved, but the device becomes prone to kinking and loses torqueability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to navigate tortuous pathsVSAvoidresistance to kinking and torqueability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter incorporates a loop tip structure at its distal end, creating a localized change in geometry that allows the device to navigate tortuous paths without requiring the entire catheter to be highly flexible. The loop portion with embedded wires provides the necessary adaptability at the tip while maintaining sufficient stiffness in the proximal portion to prevent kinking and preserve torqueability throughout the device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the medical device is made stiffer to improve torqueability and prevent kinking, then resistance to kinking and torqueability are improved, but the ability to navigate tortuous paths is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresistance to kinking and torqueabilityVSAvoidability to navigate tortuous paths

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter is divided into functional segments: a loop tip structure at the distal end for navigating tortuous paths, and a proximal portion with sufficient stiffness for torqueability. The loop portion includes embedded wires that provide structural support while allowing the tip to flex and adapt to vessel geometry, effectively segmenting the flexibility requirements along the device length.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the medical device is made more flexible to reduce trauma to vessel walls, then the risk of vessel trauma is reduced, but the device loses torqueability and becomes prone to kinking

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrauma to vessel wallsVSAvoidtorqueability and resistance to kinking

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter incorporates a loop tip structure with a curved geometry that naturally reduces stress concentration at the distal end. This curved configuration allows the device to conform to vessel walls more gently, reducing trauma while the embedded wires within the loop maintain sufficient structural integrity to prevent excessive flexibility and kinking in the overall device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS8758326B2Embedded wire extrusion with continuous loop tip

Publication Date: 2014.06.24 COOK MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

An elongate medical device includes a tubular member extending between a proximal end and a distal end that has a wall defining a lumen extending therethrough. The elongate medical device also includes a loop portion comprising a plurality of wires having proximal portions embedded into the wall and distal portions which are connected together to form a loop that is distal the distal end of the tubular member.