Guide Wire Spool Drive for Clearing Obstructed Medical Tubes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical tubes can become obstructed by clots or other substances, impairing their functionality and potentially leading to serious health issues, such as pericardial tamponade and pneumothorax, due to the formation of obstructions within the tube.
Innovation Solution
A spool drive system is used to actuate a guide wire within the medical tube, which includes a clearance wire assembly with various configurations to disrupt and clear obstructions, combined with a control system to manage vacuum and actuation based on sensor feedback, ensuring effective material removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a medical tube is used to drain fluids from the body, then fluid drainage is achieved, but clots or obstructions can form within the tube blocking the pathway
Solution Approach 1:
A guide wire is pre-positioned within the medical tube during insertion and placement procedures. The guide wire extends beyond the distal end of the tube and remains in place before any obstructions form, establishing a preliminary structural element that can later be used to clear clots and maintain tube patency.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wire acts as an intermediary tool between the obstruction (clot) and the removal mechanism. By threading the guide wire through or alongside the clot, it provides a pathway for introducing thrombolytic agents or mechanical disruption tools, mediating the interaction between the treatment system and the obstruction without requiring direct access to the blocked area.
2Productivity
If the medical tube becomes obstructed by clots, then drainage function is impaired, but serious adverse events such as pericardial tamponade and pneumothorax can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that continuously monitor drainage flow, pressure, and other parameters within the medical tube. When obstructions or abnormal conditions are detected, the control system receives feedback signals and automatically activates the guide wire mechanism to clear clots, creating a closed-loop feedback system that maintains drainage effectiveness and prevents adverse events by responding to changing conditions in real-time.
Solution Approach 2:
The medical tube system is designed to clear its own obstructions autonomously through the integrated guide wire mechanism. When sensors detect a clot formation, the control system automatically actuates the guide wire to disrupt and remove the obstruction, allowing the system to service itself without requiring external intervention or manual clearing procedures.
3Reliability
If a spool drive system is used to actuate the guide wire, then clot disruption capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spool drive system is designed to perform multiple functions: it can advance the guide wire, retract the guide wire, rotate the guide wire for mechanical disruption, and position the guide wire at specific locations within the tube. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate mechanisms into a single integrated system, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining comprehensive obstruction clearing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wire is nested within or alongside the medical tube, and the spool drive system is integrated into the tube structure. The guide wire can be wound around the spool mechanism, creating a compact nested arrangement where the active clearing element is contained within the delivery system. This nesting minimizes the space required and simplifies the overall device architecture.
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatus and methods for clearing obstructions from a medical tube are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a spool drive system is disclosed for actuating a guide wire within a medical tube. The spool drive system can be a hand held, disposable device having a spool housing with a spool therein for alternately advancing and withdrawing a guide wire through an inlet of the spool housing. A track can be spaced from and extend about a perimeter of the spool to direct the guide wire onto or off of the spool as the spool is rotated. Other embodiments and devices for actuating the guide wire, and methods therefor, also are disclosed.