Foldable Cutting Wire Balloon Catheter for Plaque Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cutting balloons face issues with poor permeability and displacement during the cutting process, leading to potential damage to the intima and inadequate cutting effectiveness, especially in highly calcified or fibrotic lesions.
Innovation Solution
A cutting balloon with a foldable cutting wire fixed to its outer surface, where both ends are securely attached, and the wire is designed to provide axial length compensation and increased friction with the blood vessel wall, reducing shifting and entanglement, while maintaining better permeability and minimizing intimal damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a cutting balloon with a fixed cutting wire is used, then the cutting effectiveness is improved, but the balloon may shift or become entangled during the cutting process
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting wire is designed with a foldable structure that allows it to dynamically adjust its configuration. When the balloon is inflated, the cutting wire unfolds from a compact folded state to an extended cutting configuration, and can refold when deflated. This dynamic behavior prevents shifting and entanglement while maintaining cutting effectiveness.
2Manufacturing precision
If the cutting wire is made rigid to improve cutting performance, then the cutting ability is enhanced, but the permeability and flexibility of the balloon deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting wire is segmented into multiple foldable sections rather than being a single rigid structure. This segmentation allows the wire to maintain rigidity when extended for cutting while enabling it to fold compactly when not in use, preserving balloon flexibility and permeability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting wire transitions between folded and unfolded states dynamically. When folded, it maintains balloon flexibility; when unfolded during inflation, it provides rigid cutting capability. This dynamic state change resolves the contradiction between rigidity and flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cutting wire is loosely attached to allow movement, then the balloon flexibility is maintained, but the cutting precision and reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting wire is securely attached at its ends to the balloon structure, providing reliable positioning. The foldable sections in the middle allow controlled movement and unfolding, combining secure attachment with flexibility to achieve both reliability and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A cutting balloon, comprising: a balloon body; cutting wires radially provided along the outer surface of the balloon body; two ends of each cutting wire are respectively fixed at two ends of the balloon body; the cutting wires being of a foldable structure. The surface of the cutting balloon is provided with the flexible cutting wires, so that the cutting balloon has good trafficability, and can cut off plaque tissues during expansion and reduce intimal injury; moreover, the cutting wires are fixed on the surface of the cutting balloon or can slide along a telescoping direction, thereby avoiding the problem of displacement or winding in the cutting process; furthermore, the arrangement of the foldable structure can provide axial-length compensation for the cutting wires during expansion of the balloon, and can also improve the friction between the balloon body and vascular walls and ensure the balloon not to be displaced