Guide Extension Catheter Transition Structure for Flexible Force Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guide extension catheters face issues with stress concentration, deformation, and poor mechanical transmission at the transitional connection segment due to differences in material stiffness and flexibility, leading to difficulty in reaching designated positions, potential damage to blood vessels, and increased risk of breakage.
Innovation Solution
A guide extension catheter design featuring a rib component that is not connected to adjacent metal components, with a tubular structure including inner and outer extension segments and a rib component, providing enhanced flexibility, mechanical transmission, and memory restoration capabilities through hot-melt welding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a plastic skirt transition is used to ensure flexibility, then the guide extension catheter has good flexibility, but the mechanical transmission and mechanical transition are poor due to poor stiffness of plastic, causing large stress concentration and easy deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure combining plastic and metal materials in the transitional connection segment. The plastic layer provides flexibility while the metal reinforcement layer provides stiffness and mechanical support, creating a composite material solution that simultaneously achieves both flexibility and reliable mechanical transmission, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties to different regions of the transitional connection segment. The plastic skirt region maintains flexibility for navigation, while the metal reinforcement layer is strategically positioned to provide localized stiffness and stress distribution, allowing each region to perform its specific function optimally without compromising the other.
2Reliability
If a metal skirt transition is used to ensure tensile strength and mechanical transmission, then the mechanical transmission and tensile strength are improved, but the performance to pass a bend is poor due to being too stiff, leading to large stress concentration and bending of the tube body
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure where the metal reinforcement layer provides tensile strength and mechanical transmission capability, while the plastic layer surrounding it provides flexibility and bendability. This composite approach allows the transitional connection segment to maintain stiffness for reliable mechanical transmission while remaining flexible enough to navigate bends without excessive stress concentration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a plastic layer as a flexible shell that surrounds and constrains the metal reinforcement layer. This flexible plastic shell allows the structure to bend and adapt to tortuous vascular passages while the embedded metal layer maintains structural integrity and mechanical transmission capability, resolving the contradiction between rigidity for strength and flexibility for navigation.
3Strength
If the rib component is connected to adjacent metal components to ensure structural strength, then the structural strength is improved, but the flexibility and memory restoration capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary plastic layer between the rib component and adjacent metal components. This plastic intermediary layer acts as a buffer that decouples the rigid rib structure from the metal components, allowing the rib to provide structural reinforcement while the plastic layer maintains overall flexibility and enables memory restoration capability by absorbing and distributing mechanical stresses.
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 design improves passability, pushability, cavity channel retention, and reliability, ensuring the catheter can navigate tortuous passages and maintain lumen integrity, reducing surgical operation time and enhancing success rates.
Implementation Method 1
the intermediate layer, the rib component, the inner layer and the inner-layer extension segment are wrapped by the outer layer and the outer-layer extension segment and are then hot-melt welded together
Data Source
AI summary
The present application discloses a guide extension catheter, comprising: a guide tube, which comprises a proximal port and a distal port and comprises an inner layer, an intermediate layer, and an outer layer; a guide shaft, which is disposed on the side of proximal port and configured to guide the guide tube into a target position; a transitional connection segment, which is configured to connect the guide tube and the guide shaft, wherein the transitional connection segment is of a tubular structure that axially extends from the proximal port and comprises an inclined opening, and comprises an inner-layer extension segment, an outer-layer extension segment, and a rib component; the rib component is sized and shaped to adapt to the transitional connection segment.