Eversion Sleeve Catheter Advancing via Fluid Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for advancing articles along paths, such as medical catheters, face challenges with high friction and resistance when navigating through curved or rough paths, limiting their ability to follow the path of least resistance and efficiently propel the article.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a head member with revolving elements and an eversion sleeve made of resilient material, where the eversion sleeve is configured to form a fluid-receiving space for propelling fluid to exert force on the everting portion, allowing the sleeve to deploy inside out and advance the head member with reduced friction, using revolving elements to reduce friction by up to 90% and enable longer advancement per force applied.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional catheter is used to advance along a path, then the catheter can maintain structural integrity, but it experiences high friction and resistance when navigating through curved or rough paths
Solution Approach 1:
The eversion sleeve is inverted inside out during deployment, with the inner surface becoming the outer surface that contacts the path. This inversion allows the sleeve to deploy smoothly over irregular surfaces and reduces friction by allowing the path to slide along the inside of the sleeve rather than the outside, directly addressing the high friction problem while maintaining structural integrity through the sleeve's elastic material
Solution Approach 2:
The eversion sleeve is made of an elastic material that can flex and conform to curved paths while maintaining its structural integrity. The flexible nature of the sleeve allows it to navigate rough and curved paths with reduced friction, as the material can adapt to surface irregularities without rigid contact points that would generate high resistance
2Speed
If force is applied to advance the catheter through high-friction paths, then the catheter can be propelled forward, but the friction consumes excessive force and limits advancement distance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces direct mechanical pushing against high-friction surfaces with a fluid pressure system. Propelling fluid is introduced into the fluid-receiving space to inflate the eversion sleeve, and the expanded sleeve advances along the path by pressure differential rather than by being pushed, substituting mechanical force with hydraulic pressure to reduce the force required for advancement
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses hydraulic pressure by introducing propelling fluid into the fluid-receiving space between the eversion sleeve and the head member. This fluid pressure expands the sleeve and propels it forward along the path, allowing advancement with much less external force than would be required to push a traditional catheter through high-friction environments, directly addressing the force consumption problem
3Length of moving object
If the eversion sleeve is made longer to increase advancement distance per force applied, then the sleeve can travel farther, but the friction and resistance increase proportionally
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the sleeve inside out, the inner smooth surface becomes the outer contact surface, creating a low-friction interface that allows the sleeve to be much longer without proportionally increasing total friction. The inversion geometry enables the sleeve to slide along the path with minimal resistance, allowing extended length for greater advancement distance without the friction penalty that would normally accompany increased surface area contact
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 system achieves low-friction self-propulsion of the head member along the path, allowing it to follow curved paths and overcome obstacles with reduced resistance, ensuring reliable advancement and increased length of the inverted sleeve per force applied.
Implementation Method 1
a space formed between said non-inverted portion and said inverted portion for receiving a propelling fluid for exerting force on the everting portion
Implementation Method 2
said head member is configured with one or more revolving elements configured for engaging said everting portion and for revolving upon displacement of the everting portion thereon with respect to the head member
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a system for advancing an article along a path. The system may include a head member; a dispatching member, and an eversion sleeve configured with an inverted portion having a sleeve end configured to be fixed to the dispatching member. The system may also include an everting portion configured for articulating to the head member and an un-inverted portion configured to extend from the everting portion towards the dispatching member, at least partially within the inverted portion.