Expandable Catheter Element for Clot Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for removing obstructions from body lumens, such as clot material, face challenges in safely advancing through vasculature due to the risk of dislodging and embolization, which can lead to further complications and reduced effectiveness in procedures like ischemic stroke treatment.
Innovation Solution
A medical device assembly featuring an aspiration catheter with a distally positioned interventional element, such as an expandable member or mesh, that is initially coupled to a shaft for low-profile advancement and then released to expand at the treatment site, facilitating clot engagement and aspiration while minimizing vessel damage and embolization risk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an interventional element is positioned distally on the aspiration catheter to reduce embolization risk and facilitate flow arrest, then the effectiveness of clot retrieval is improved, but the risk of damage to vessel walls during advancement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interventional element is designed to transition from a compressed low-profile state during advancement to an expanded functional state at the treatment site. This dynamic transformation allows the element to minimize vessel wall contact during navigation while maximizing its effectiveness for flow arrest and clot engagement during retrieval
Solution Approach 2:
The interventional element is pre-positioned in a compressed state within the catheter before advancement. This preliminary configuration allows the device to navigate tortuous vasculature safely, and only after reaching the target location does the element expand to perform its clot retrieval function
2Productivity
If an expandable member is coupled to the distal end of the aspiration catheter to engage clot material, then the aspiration efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable member is integrated with the aspiration catheter through a coupling mechanism that combines multiple functions into a single device. The interventional element serves both as a structural component for clot engagement and as a functional element for flow arrest, eliminating the need for separate devices
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable member is nested within or coupled to the aspiration catheter in a compact configuration during delivery. This nested arrangement allows the complex expandable structure to be contained within the catheter profile, simplifying the overall device configuration during advancement while maintaining full functionality at the treatment site
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 solution enables safer and more effective removal of clot material by reducing the risk of embolization and improving flow arrest at the treatment site, enhancing the success rate of procedures like ischemic stroke treatment by ensuring efficient aspiration and revascularization.
Implementation Method 1
the interventional element can assume its expanded form, for example expanding radially outwardly into apposition with the vessel wall
Implementation Method 2
an aspiration catheter for applying negative pressure at the treatment site to draw clot material into the lumen of the aspiration catheter
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for removal of clot material from vessel lumens are disclosed. A medical device assembly can include a catheter having a lumen and a distal portion configured to be positioned at or adjacent a treatment site within a vessel. An expandable member has a first portion coupled to the distal portion of the catheter, and a second portion extending away from the catheter distal portion. An elongate shaft extends through the lumen of the catheter, and the second portion of the expandable member is releasably coupled to the shaft. When the shaft is slidably moved relative to the surrounding catheter, the second portion of the expandable member can be released from the shaft, and the shaft can be withdrawn or removed.