Convective Heating Catheter Tip for Vessel Stenosis Treatment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Central venous stenosis associated with central venous catheters used for hemodialysis is a significant issue due to its impact on hemodialysis access and patient health, with existing treatments being invasive, costly, and carrying risks such as tissue damage and reclosure of vessels.
Innovation Solution
A catheter system with a convectively heating tip and inflatable balloon is used to dilate obstructed blood vessels, employing radiofrequency energy to heat the tip and control temperature to seal plaques without tissue denaturation, promoting vessel restoration and healing, while the inflatable balloon helps in maintaining vessel patency without causing stress to the vessel walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional angioplasty with stent placement is used to treat central venous stenosis, then vessel patency can be restored, but the treatment requires patient exposure to anesthesia, radiation, and contrast agents, increasing complexity and risk
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for complex support devices like stents by using a self-expanding balloon catheter that achieves vessel patency through controlled thermal expansion and tissue sealing without requiring metallic stent structures or complex delivery systems
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical stent placement system with a thermal energy-based system that uses controlled heating to seal plaque and endothelium to the intima, eliminating the need for radiation, contrast agents, and complex stent deployment mechanisms
2Reliability
If high heat is applied to seal plaque and endothelium to the intima, then vessel healing is promoted, but tissue denaturation may occur causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention precisely controls the thermal parameters by limiting the temperature to below 100°C and the heating duration to less than 120 seconds, transforming the thermal process from potentially damaging high-heat treatment to a controlled low-temperature prolonged heating that promotes healing without denaturation
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon catheter acts as an intermediary medium that distributes thermal energy uniformly across the vessel wall, preventing localized overheating and tissue denaturation while ensuring consistent heating for plaque sealing and endothelial regeneration
3Reliability
If balloon inflation is used to dilate obstructed blood vessels, then vessel patency is restored, but stress on vessel walls can cause cracking, tearing and stretching
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary controlled heating to the plaque and endothelium before balloon inflation, which softens and seals the tissue in advance, reducing the mechanical stress required for dilation and preventing vessel wall cracking, tearing, and stretching during the inflation process
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment combines thermal energy application with mechanical balloon inflation in a sequential composite process, where the thermal phase prepares the tissue by sealing and softening, and the mechanical phase completes the dilation, achieving patency restoration while preserving vessel wall integrity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively treats central venous stenosis by sealing plaques and promoting healing without tissue damage, reducing the risk of vessel reclosure and allowing for quicker restoration of blood flow, thus providing a safer and more efficient treatment option compared to conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
A catheter with convectively heating tip along with an inflatable balloon may be used for dilating obstructed blood vessel... A resulting convective heat transfer to an interior blood vessel wall may seal the plaque and endothelium to the intima of a blood vessel
Implementation Method 2
A resulting convective heat transfer to an interior blood vessel wall may seal the plaque and endothelium to the intima of a blood vessel without the tissue denaturation and to may promote restoration and healing
Implementation Method 3
A catheter with convectively heating tip along with an inflatable balloon may be used for dilating obstructed blood vessel
Data Source
AI summary
A system to be used inside a dialysis unit for dilating obstructed blood vessel, comprises a catheter, a device, a remote-control box, supportive components and connection cables. A catheter comprises an elongated portion, a proximal end and a distal end, extended longitudinally. A distal end of a catheter has a convectively heating tip with a heat generating element and an inflatable balloon. A device has a radiofrequency current generator to supply and control a heating process of a heat generating element of a catheter tip. A remote-control box comprises a valve assembly, a heat activation switch and a balloon inflation switch to facilitate a treatment process.