Endovascular Guide Device Stabilizing Element Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guide devices for endovascular operations face challenges in aligning and stabilizing the guide body within vascular cavities, leading to misalignment, instability, and increased procedural time due to two-dimensional radioscopic perception and insufficient support, especially in complex anatomies.
Innovation Solution
A guide device with a flexible hollow guide body and stabilizing elements, including a long, flexible stabilizing element that provides additional support and rigidity, allowing for precise alignment and stabilization of the guide body within vascular cavities, facilitating navigation through complex anatomical structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible hollow guide body is used for navigating vascular cavities, then the device can adapt to complex anatomical structures, but the guide body lacks sufficient support and stability for precise alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The guide device is divided into distinct functional segments: a flexible guide body for navigation and a separate stabilizing element for alignment. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specialized function - the guide body adapts to anatomy while the stabilizing element provides rigid support for positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing element acts as an intermediary between the operator and the guide body. It provides a stable interface for manipulation and alignment while the flexible guide body navigates the vascular cavity. The stabilizing element mediates the transfer of control forces while maintaining positional stability.
2Ease of operation
If the directing end of the guide body is manipulated for alignment with transversal cavities, then navigation to target vessels is enabled, but misalignment and instability occur due to insufficient support
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing element is positioned and configured before final alignment operations. This preliminary stabilization of the guide body allows subsequent alignment maneuvers to be performed with greater precision and confidence, as the foundation is already established.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the device have different mechanical properties optimized for their specific functions. The guide body is flexible for navigation, while the stabilizing element is rigid for precise alignment. This local differentiation of mechanical qualities enables both ease of manipulation and alignment precision.
3Loss of information
If radioscopic viewing devices are used to align the directing end, then visualization of the advancing path is provided, but the two-dimensional perception falsifies the alignment and makes correction difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing element serves as a tactile intermediary that provides feedback and control for three-dimensional alignment. While radioscopic viewing provides two-dimensional visualization, the stabilizing element allows the operator to feel and correct alignment in three-dimensional space, compensating for the limitations of flat imaging.
4Ease of operation
If rotation and pushing movements are applied to the proximal end to direct the catheter, then navigation through vascular cavities is achieved, but large-scale and uncontrollable changes of position occur at the directing end
Solution Approach 1:
The device separates navigation functions (flexible guide body responding to proximal manipulations) from positioning functions (stabilizing element anchoring the directing end). This allows rotation and pushing at the proximal end to navigate through cavities while the stabilizing element prevents uncontrollable position changes at the directing end.
Data Source
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AI summary
A guide device (1) for introducing at least a surgical instrument internally of an organic cavity (2), in particular a vascular cavity comprises a guide body or guide catheter (3) which is substantially hollow and flexible and exhibits an open directing end (8) which is transversal. The device comprises an elongate and flexible guide element (9), which is slidable internally of the guide body (3) to define an advancing guide for the guide body (3). The device (1) also includes means for stabilising (10) for easily piloting the directing end (8) with respect to the transversal cavity (2b) and for advancing the guide catheter. The means for stabilising are defined by a stabilising opening (11) and by an elongate and flexible stabilising element (12) which internally engages the guide body (3) and exits therefrom through the stabilising opening (11) along the cavity occupied by the guide body (3). The stabilising element (12) behaves as a rotation pivot by means of which the operator doing the operation can easily align the directing end (8) of the guide body (3) with the transversal cavity (2b), and guide the directing end (8) into the transversal cavity (2b).