Expandable Tip Atherectomy Catheter for Tissue Storage and Expulsion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current catheters used to remove atheromatous deposits from blood vessels face challenges with insufficient storage capacity, leading to time-consuming processes for removing deposits from the catheter collection chamber, which can result in incomplete treatment and potential complications.
Innovation Solution
An atherectomy catheter with a tissue collection chamber that can transition between a closed and open position, utilizing an expandable or displaceable tip to efficiently retain and expel cut tissue, allowing for simple and fast removal of deposits from the catheter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the storage chamber in the catheter is made larger to increase storage capacity, then the catheter can store more deposits, but the catheter becomes more difficult to navigate and insert into the blood vessel
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter incorporates an expandable distal tip that can transition between a compressed state during insertion and an expanded state during deposit storage. This dynamic structure allows the catheter to navigate blood vessels easily in its compressed form, then expand at the treatment site to provide adequate storage capacity for atheromatous deposits without compromising navigability
Solution Approach 2:
The distal tip is designed with a nested structure where the tip can be compressed within the catheter body for insertion, then expanded outward to create the storage chamber. This nesting approach allows the storage capacity to be concealed within the catheter profile during navigation, resolving the contradiction between size for storage and size for navigation
2Quantity of substance
If the catheter is removed from the body to remove deposits from the collection chamber, then the deposits can be emptied, but the treatment time increases and the procedure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter system enables self-service deposit removal through an expandable distal tip that can be actuated to expel deposits from the collection chamber while the catheter remains in place. The operator can control the tip expansion to automatically eject stored deposits back into the blood vessel or into a collection bag, eliminating the need for catheter removal and reinsertion
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic expandable tip serves dual functions: expanding during insertion to allow catheter passage, then contracting or redirecting to expel deposits. This dynamic behavior enables the catheter to perform both storage and self-emptying functions without removal, significantly reducing treatment time and procedural complexity
3Quantity of substance
If the catheter is removed and re-inserted for additional deposit removal, then more deposits can be captured, but the procedure time increases and patient exposure to complications increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is designed with multi-functionality, incorporating both a cutting element for deposit removal and an expandable distal tip for both navigation assistance and deposit expulsion. This universal design allows a single catheter to perform multiple passes of deposit capture and expulsion without removal, increasing both deposit capture capability and procedure safety by minimizing repeated insertions
Data Source
AI summary
An atherectomy catheter is provided having a tissue collection chamber capable of being cleaned out in a simple, fast and effective way, and also provides methods of using said catheter to remove material from a blood vessel lumen. In one embodiment the tissue collection chamber has an expandable tip having a first closed position capable of retaining material in the chamber and having a second open position that may allow expulsion of material from the chamber. In a second embodiment the tissue collection chamber has a displaceable tip having a first closed position to retain material in the chamber and having a second open position to allow expulsion of material from the chamber.