Expandable Medical Device Support for Catheter Pushability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing expandable medical devices face issues with high delivery force requirements and insufficient column strength, leading to non-deliverability and potential damage to the delivery catheter during deployment.

Innovation Solution

Incorporation of a support member, such as a braided wire structure with a central support member, to enhance pushability and column strength, allowing the device to be delivered through a catheter without damaging it or the catheter.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an expandable medical device is delivered through a catheter, then the device can be deployed at the target site, but the device requires high delivery force and has insufficient column strength, potentially damaging the catheter

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice deliverabilityVSAvoiddelivery force

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into multiple expandable segments or struts that can be compressed individually during delivery, reducing the overall force required to push the device through the catheter while maintaining structural integrity at the target site

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The expandable device is nested within the catheter in a compressed state during delivery, allowing it to pass through the catheter lumen with reduced profile and lower delivery force requirements, then expand at the target site

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Reliability

If an expandable medical device is delivered through a catheter, then the device can be deployed at the target site, but the device may damage the delivery catheter during advancement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice deliverabilityVSAvoidcatheter damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The device incorporates regions of varying stiffness along its length, with more compliant sections near the catheter interface to minimize damage during delivery, and stiffer sections at the expansion zones to ensure structural support when deployed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The device includes cushioning elements or compliant interfaces that are positioned in advance between the device structure and the catheter wall, absorbing peak forces during delivery to prevent catheter damage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Strength

If the device structure is made stronger to improve column strength, then the device can be pushed through the delivery device, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolumn strengthVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device uses composite material structures combining materials with different mechanical properties to achieve high column strength through material composition rather than structural complexity, maintaining simplicity in design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS20260007411A1Expanding medical device with support

Publication Date: 2026.01.08 KA MEDICAL LLC

AI summary

This application describes various embodiments of an expandable device that includes at least one support member. The support member (or members) is integrated into the structure of the expandable device and increases its column strength, which thus augments pushability of the expanding device through a delivery catheter. The support member allows force applied while pushing from the proximal end of the expandable device to be translated to the distal end of the device and therefore avoid bunching or deformation without increasing the profile of the device to a degree that would prohibit passage through a lumen of a specific required size. Thus, the expandable devices described herein address at least some of the shortcomings discussed above.