Implant Delivery Detachment Mechanism for Tortuous Anatomy Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Delivery systems for medical implants face challenges in navigating tortuous anatomies, leading to strain that can cause premature detachment or damage due to bending forces, and existing detach mechanisms are prone to premature actuation.
Innovation Solution
A delivery system with a flexible joint and a detach mechanism that includes a breakable detachment element, allowing the implant to tilt and absorb bending forces, and features a detach mechanism that can be actuated reliably to prevent premature detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the delivery system navigates tortuous anatomies with sharp turns, then the implant can be delivered to the target location, but strain and bending forces cause premature detachment or damage to the implant
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery system is divided into separable components: a delivery catheter and an embolization device. The detachable connection allows the embolization device to be protected from bending forces during navigation while still enabling delivery to the target location. The segmentation isolates the implant from the strain experienced by the delivery system in tortuous anatomies.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable connection mechanism is designed to prevent premature detachment by using a breakable detachment element that requires specific actuation forces. This beforehand cushioning protects against premature actuation while allowing controlled release at the target site, cushioning the system against the harmful effect of bending forces during navigation.
2Ease of operation
If a detach mechanism is used to release the implant, then the implant can be delivered to the target site, but the detach mechanism is prone to premature actuation due to bending forces
Solution Approach 1:
The detach mechanism uses a breakable detachment element with specific mechanical properties that change under different force conditions. The element is designed to remain intact under normal bending forces during delivery but can be deliberately broken or actuated at the target site through controlled mechanical action, changing the state from locked to released.
Solution Approach 2:
The breakable detachment element acts as an intermediary between the delivery catheter and the embolization device. It mediates the connection by providing a controlled failure point or actuation mechanism that prevents premature release while enabling intentional detachment at the target site through specific mechanical input.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the delivery system uses a rigid structure to maintain stability, then the implant can be securely held, but the system cannot accommodate tortuous anatomies without transmitting strain to the implant
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the delivery pathway into a flexible delivery catheter and a protected embolization device. This segmentation allows the delivery catheter to navigate tortuous anatomies while the embolization device remains protected from bending forces, maintaining structural stability of the implant during delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable connection with the breakable detachment element serves as an intermediary that decouples the implant from the delivery system's mechanical stresses. This intermediary protects the implant from bending force transmission while still enabling secure holding during delivery and controlled release at the target site.
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~2C
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
A delivery system (400) for delivering and deploying an implant (550) to a bodily lumen (600). The delivery system (400) comprises a delivery element (410) and a detach mechanism (420) connected to a distal portion of the delivery element (410). The detach mechanism (420) has a first configuration configured to grip the implant (550) and a second configuration configured to release the implant (550). An actuating mechanism (430) is configured to extend through the lumen of a delivery catheter (500) to the detach mechanism (420). Moving the actuating mechanism (430) from a first position to a second position changes the detach mechanism (430) from the first configuration to the second configuration. Also provided is an embolization system (110) comprising an embolization device (110) including a self-expandable skeleton (112) and a flow restricting layer (114) mounted on the skeleton (112), a detach mechanism (140) for connecting the embolization device (110) to a delivery element (150), and a flexible joint (130) for allowing the embolization device (110) to tilt with respect to the delivery element (150).