Ergonomic Guide Catheter Slitter with Adjustable Shroud
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Solution Overview
Problem
The removal of guide catheters from implanted elongated medical devices is challenging due to size variability and requires a precise, easy-to-handle slitter that maintains the device's position without dislodging it, which is time-consuming and requires considerable skill.
Innovation Solution
A slitter with an ergonomic handle and blade assembly designed for comfortable one-handed use, featuring a user-deflectable portion and guide rail to securely hold and slit the guide catheter, ensuring stable alignment and smooth removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a size-specific slitter is used to accommodate different device sizes, then the slitter can be securely positioned on the elongated device body, but the device complexity increases and requires multiple slitter sizes to be managed
Solution Approach 1:
The slitter is designed with an adjustable mechanism that allows a single slitter device to accommodate multiple elongated device body sizes. The shroud can be adjusted to different configurations to fit different diameters, eliminating the need for multiple size-specific slitters while maintaining secure positioning reliability
2Reliability
If the physician uses one hand to handle the slitter and the other to withdraw the guide catheter, then the guide catheter can be removed without dislodging the lead/catheter, but the ease of operation decreases due to the need for precise coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The slitter incorporates an integrated design where the cutting mechanism and positioning features are combined into a single unit that attaches to the elongated device body. This integration allows the physician to manipulate one unified device rather than coordinating separate components, reducing operational complexity while maintaining positioning reliability
3Length of moving object
If the guide catheter is made with a small diameter to access narrow vessels, then the catheter can reach targeted locations, but the removal becomes more difficult requiring a slitter
Solution Approach 1:
The slitter is pre-positioned on the elongated device body before the guide catheter removal process begins. The cutting edge is预先 positioned to engage the guide catheter wall, so that when removal is initiated, the slitting action occurs automatically as the catheter passes over the pre-positioned cutting edge, simplifying the removal operation
Data Source
AI summary
A slitter for slitting a guide catheter has a handle and a blade assembly coupled to the handle. The blade assembly includes a shroud for receiving an elongated body of a medical device and a slitting blade having an exposed cutting edge to slit the guide catheter. The blade assembly includes a user-deflectable portion coupled to the shroud for causing the shroud to flex in response to deflection of the user-deflectable portion. The handle and the blade assembly may be assembled from piece parts in a manufacturing method.