Automated Guide Wire Navigation System for Coronary Procedures

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current catheter-based intervention procedures for navigating guide wires in cardiovascular disease treatment face challenges due to poor visualization and lack of depth perception, making it difficult to precisely direct the guide wire's distal tip to the desired location within the coronary anatomy.

Innovation Solution

A catheter procedure system that includes a bedside system with a guide wire, advance/retract, and rotate actuators, along with a workstation featuring a user interface, displays, and a controller. This system automatically advances, rotates, and retracts the guide wire based on predetermined paths and real-time imaging feedback to ensure precise navigation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual insertion of guide wire is used, then the physician can control the guide wire direction, but the procedure time is prolonged due to difficulty in precisely directing the distal tip

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of guide wire tip directionVSAvoidprocedure time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical manipulation of the guide wire with an automated robotic system that uses image guidance and computer control to advance, rotate, and position the guide wire tip precisely at the lesion location, eliminating the time-consuming manual trial-and-error process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs real-time image feedback from fluoroscopy or other imaging modalities to continuously monitor guide wire position and provide automated adjustments, allowing the robotic system to self-correct and maintain precise positioning without prolonged manual intervention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of information

If fluoroscopy is used for visualization, then the physician can observe coronary anatomy, but depth perception is lacking making precise navigation difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedepth perception informationVSAvoidease of guide wire navigation
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from two-dimensional fluoroscopic imaging to three-dimensional spatial reconstruction and visualization, providing depth perception and volumetric representation of coronary anatomy that enables precise guide wire navigation through the complex vascular structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an image processing and reconstruction intermediary that converts standard fluoroscopic images into three-dimensional visualizations with depth information, acting as a mediator between the imaging system and the physician's spatial understanding

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If robotic catheter systems are used, then precise steering is achieved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesteering precisionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The robotic catheter system is designed with multi-functional capabilities that integrate guide wire manipulation, imaging acquisition, image processing, and navigation control into a single unified platform, reducing the need for separate specialized devices and operators

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3954317B1System for navigating a guide wire
Publication Date: 2025.04.09 SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS ENDOVASCULAR ROBOTICS INC
  • EP3954317B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3954317B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3954317B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A catheter procedure system includes a. controller programmed to advance the guide wire through a path using a guide wire advance/retract actuator, determine if a guide wire is in a desired path based at. least on at least one image of a region of interest, rotate the guide wire using a guide wire rotate actuator if the guide wire is not in the desired path, wherein the guide wire is rotated a predetermined amount, and retract the guide wire using the guide wire advance/retract actuator. The steps of advancing the guide wire and retracting and rotating the guide wire using guide wire advance/retract actuator and the guide "wire rotate actuator are repeated until the guide wire is in the desired path. The guide wire is advanced to a desired position using the guide wire advance/retract actuator.