Medical Implant Attachment Mechanism with Release Wire
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for releasing implants within the body lack efficient and reliable attachment mechanisms that can securely engage dissimilar metallic materials, which complicates the deployment and retrieval of medical implants like occlusive devices and embolic coils.
Innovation Solution
A medical implant system featuring an attachment mechanism with a first part fixedly attached to an elongate shaft and a second part attached to the medical implant, utilizing engagement features such as recesses or protrusions to create a secure mechanical lock, preventing axial or lateral translation, and employing a release wire to detach the implant from the shaft, even when using dissimilar metallic materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a release wire is used to detach the implant from the shaft, then the implant can be released, but the attachment mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is divided into separate components: a first part attached to the shaft, a second part attached to the implant, and a release wire that connects them. This segmentation allows the release function to be isolated and controlled independently, enabling reliable detachment while maintaining a manageable overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The release wire acts as an intermediary element between the shaft and the implant. It transmits the release signal from the proximal end to the distal end, enabling controlled detachment without requiring direct manipulation of the implant itself, thus simplifying the operation.
2Reliability
If engagement features with recesses or protrusions are used, then secure mechanical lock is achieved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement features utilize asymmetric geometries where protrusions on one component fit into corresponding recesses on the mating component. This asymmetric design provides inherent directional engagement, ensuring secure mechanical lock while allowing for relatively simple manufacturing processes compared to symmetric or complex interlocking mechanisms.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the attachment mechanism is designed to prevent axial or lateral translation, then implant stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism merges multiple stabilization functions into a single integrated structure. The first and second parts are configured to prevent both axial and lateral translation simultaneously through their geometric engagement, eliminating the need for separate stabilization components and reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
An attachment mechanism for a medical implant system may include a first part fixedly attached to a distal end of an elongate shaft, the first part having a first longitudinal lumen configured to slidably receive a release wire disposed within the elongate shaft, and a second part fixedly attached to a proximal end of a medical implant, the second part having a second longitudinal lumen configured to slidably receive the release wire. A tubular distal portion of the second part may include an engagement feature configured to non-releasably engage the second part with the medical implant.