Hand-held Unit for Controlled Stent Release via Nested Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hand-held units for implant placement in blood vessels are not optimized for efficient operability, particularly in releasing self-expanding and non-self-expanding implants, which can complicate the expansion and positioning processes.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held unit with a housing, connection section, transmission element, and actuation element that allows for the controlled movement of a release element to retract the middle catheter layer, enabling the implant to expand or be balloon-dilated for secure placement within the blood vessel, featuring a rotatable or displaceable actuation element and a guide element to facilitate precise movement and positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hand-held unit is designed with internal mechanisms for implant release, then the implant can be securely positioned and released, but the device becomes more complex and harder to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The release element is nested within the catheter structure, with the middle catheter layer surrounding the implant and the release element positioned within this layer. The transmission element connects the actuation element to the release element through the catheter layers, creating a nested configuration where multiple functional components are integrated within the existing catheter structure without adding external complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission element serves as an intermediary component that transmits the actuating force from the actuation element (operated by the user) to the release element (which actually releases the implant). This intermediary mechanism allows the user to control implant release without directly manipulating the release element through the catheter, simplifying the user interface while maintaining reliable control
2Reliability
If the release element is deeply positioned within the catheter to ensure secure implant retention, then the implant can be reliably held, but the actuation element becomes harder to access and operate
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation element is designed to be accessible from an external dimension (outside the catheter) while the release element operates internally (within the catheter). The transmission element bridges these two dimensions, allowing the user to apply force from the external side while the release mechanism operates on the internal side, thus resolving the accessibility problem without compromising retention reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission element acts as a mediator that extends the user's interaction from the external accessible area through the catheter wall to the internal release element. This allows the user to operate the release mechanism without direct access to the release element itself, maintaining both reliability and ease of operation
3Adaptability or versatility
If the middle catheter layer is made movable to enable implant expansion, then the implant can be released and expanded, but the control precision over the release timing is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback through the engagement section mechanism, where the transmission element engages with the actuation element at specific positions. This engagement creates tactile feedback to the user, allowing precise control over when the release element begins to move relative to the middle catheter layer, thus maintaining release timing precision while enabling implant expansion
4Ease of operation
If the hand-held unit is designed with a compact structure for ergonomic handling, then it is easier to hold and operate, but the transmission element has limited space for movement
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission element is designed with dynamic characteristics, being flexible enough to bend and conform within the compact housing while still transmitting force effectively. The transmission element can change its shape and configuration as needed, allowing it to move through limited space while maintaining its function of transmitting actuating force to the release element
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission element is nested within the compact housing structure, with the release element positioned within the transmission element, and the actuation element accessible from outside. This nested configuration allows all necessary components to fit within a compact ergonomic housing while maintaining the required movement spaces for each component to function properly
Data Source
AI summary
A hand-held unit serves to feed an implant, in particular a stent, and to release the implant by means of a release element. The hand-held unit comprises a housing that has a housing opening and a connection section for attaching an outer catheter layer of a catheter to the housing and for guiding the release element from an interior of the housing into the catheter so that the release element is movable relative to the outer catheter layer. The hand-held unit further comprises a transmission element that is connected to the release element in order to transmit a movement of the transmission element to the release element, and an actuation element that is rotatably or displaceably supported in the housing and that can be actuated from outside the housing through the housing opening, wherein a movement of the actuation element causes a movement of the transmission element.