Interlaced Filar Braid Catheter Assemblies for Kink-Resistant Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional catheters face issues with kinking while attempting to enhance manipulation characteristics such as pushability, torqueability, and flexibility, with braiding decreasing kink-resistance and coils consuming valuable space.
Innovation Solution
A catheter design featuring interlaced filar arrays with varying ratios and dimensions, incorporating a braided brace and optional coils within a guide recess, to enhance torqueability and kink-resistance without increasing catheter size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a catheter is made more flexible to navigate turns in vasculature, then flexibility is improved, but the catheter becomes more prone to kinking
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs a composite structure combining a braid assembly (providing flexibility) with a coil (providing kink resistance). The braid assembly includes multiple filars (e.g., 6-30 filars) arranged in a helical configuration to enable navigation through curved vasculature, while the coil (e.g., nitinol or stainless steel) integrated within the braid provides structural support to prevent kinking. This composite approach allows the catheter to simultaneously achieve flexibility and kink resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies parameters of the braid assembly such as the number of filars, pitch of the braid, and material composition to optimize the balance between flexibility and kink resistance. By adjusting these parameters, the catheter can be tuned to achieve the desired mechanical properties for specific vascular access applications.
2Ease of operation
If braiding is included to enhance torqueability, then torqueability is improved, but kink-resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter combines a braid assembly (providing torqueability) with a coil (providing kink resistance). The braid assembly includes multiple filars (e.g., 6-30 filars) arranged in a helical configuration to enable navigation through curved vasculature, while the coil (e.g., nitinol or stainless steel) integrated within the braid provides structural support to prevent kinking. This composite approach allows the catheter to simultaneously achieve flexibility and kink resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies parameters of the braid assembly such as the number of filars, pitch of the braid, and material composition to optimize the balance between flexibility and kink resistance. By adjusting these parameters, the catheter can be tuned to achieve the desired mechanical properties for specific vascular access applications.
3Reliability
If coils are added to increase kink-resistance, then kink-resistance is improved, but the dimensions of the catheter increase consuming valuable space
Solution Approach 1:
The coil is nested within the braid assembly structure, with the coil positioned inside the helical configuration of the braid. This nested arrangement allows the coil to provide kink resistance without adding significant external dimensions to the catheter, as the coil occupies space within the existing braid assembly footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter employs a composite structure combining a braid assembly (providing flexibility) with a coil (providing kink resistance). The braid assembly includes multiple filars (e.g., 6-30 filars) arranged in a helical configuration to enable navigation through curved vasculature, while the coil (e.g., nitinol or stainless steel) integrated within the braid provides structural support to prevent kinking. This composite approach allows the catheter to simultaneously achieve flexibility and kink resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter assembly includes a catheter body extending from a catheter proximal portion to a catheter distal portion. The catheter body includes an inner liner and an outer sleeve. A braid assembly is within the catheter body and between the inner liner and the outer sleeve. The braid assembly includes a first filar array including one or more first filars helically extending around the catheter body in a first direction. The braid assembly further includes a second filar array including one or more second filars helically extending around the catheter body in a second direction opposed to the first direction.