Optical Fiber Positioning in Endovascular Laser Catheters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endovascular laser treatment devices for varicose veins rely on cumbersome and inaccurate methods for positioning the optical fiber, such as medical tape, which can lead to improper alignment, fiber breakage, and incomplete energy delivery, increasing the risk of complications like deep vein thrombosis and non-occluded vessel segments.
Innovation Solution
An endovascular laser treatment device featuring a catheter with a hub and an optical fiber equipped with a permanent stop and a temporary stop, allowing precise positioning and secure alignment without the need for medical tape, ensuring the fiber tip is correctly exposed during treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If medical tape is used to pre-measure and mark the optical fiber before insertion into the catheter, then the fiber positioning can be established, but the process becomes cumbersome, inaccurate, and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is pre-marked with alignment marks during manufacturing that indicate the correct positioning of the optical fiber. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for cumbersome pre-measurement and marking procedures using medical tape, providing both accurate positioning and a simplified process.
Solution Approach 2:
Alignment marks serve as an intermediary reference system between the catheter and optical fiber. These marks provide a visual guide that facilitates accurate fiber positioning without requiring complex measurement tools or procedures, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and complexity.
2Reliability
If the optical fiber is exposed by withdrawing the catheter during laser activation, then laser energy can be delivered to the vessel, but improper alignment may occur leading to fiber breakage or incomplete energy delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is pre-marked with alignment marks that indicate the correct exposure position of the optical fiber. This preliminary preparation allows the operator to easily and reliably position the fiber for laser delivery without complex procedures, improving both reliability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment marks provide visual feedback to the operator during the fiber exposure process. By observing the alignment marks, the operator can confidently withdraw the catheter to the correct extent, ensuring proper fiber positioning and eliminating uncertainty about alignment, thus improving both reliability and operational simplicity.
3Ease of operation
If the fiber tip position is not precisely controlled, then the procedure may be simpler, but complications such as deep vein thrombosis and non-occluded vessel segments may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is pre-marked with alignment marks during manufacturing that indicate the correct fiber tip position relative to the catheter. This preliminary preparation maintains procedure simplicity while ensuring accurate fiber positioning, thereby preventing complications such as deep vein thrombosis and non-occluded vessel segments.
Solution Approach 2:
Alignment marks serve as an intermediary reference system that guides proper fiber positioning. This simple visual aid ensures the fiber tip is correctly positioned without adding procedural complexity, thus maintaining ease of operation while eliminating harmful outcomes associated with improper positioning.
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 device provides reliable and precise positioning of the optical fiber, reducing the risk of complications and improving the efficiency of the treatment process by eliminating the need for pre-measurement and minimizing the risk of fiber misalignment, thus ensuring effective vein occlusion and reducing treatment time and costs.
Implementation Method 1
The laser generator is then activated causing laser energy to be emitted from the bare flat tip of the fiber into the vessel
Implementation Method 2
The energy contacts the blood causing hot bubbles of gas to be created. The gas bubbles transfer thermal energy to the vein wall, causing cell necrosis and eventual vein collapse
Data Source
AI summary
An endovascular laser treatment device preferably includes a catheter having a hub at its proximal end, an optical fiber for insertion into the catheter, a fiber connector attached to the optical fiber at a selected distance from the distal end of the optical fiber, and a temporary stop removably mounted around the optical fiber. The treatment device has two positions: a protective position and an operating position. As the fiber is inserted through the catheter, the temporary stop rests against the hub and places the fiber tip in the protective position where the distal end of the optical fiber is positioned near the distal end of the catheter, but is still disposed inside the catheter. When the temporary stop is removed and the fiber connector is coupled with the catheter hub, the fiber tip is in the operating position where the distal end of the optical fiber extends past the distal end of the catheter by a predetermined distance to expose the fiber tip.