Invasive Tool Controlled Rigidity via Microwire Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Common invasive medical tools often lack controlled longitudinal and torque rigidity, making them either too rigid or too flexible, which can hinder navigation through vascular structures and require expensive, intricate manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
A distal portion of an invasive tool is designed with controlled rigidity by using a profiled structure made from microwires, where the degree of rigidity is varied by selectively terminating microwires in specific sections, allowing for tailored rigidity profiles through helical winding and termination processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If common invasive medical tools are made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then strength is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to inability to navigate vascular structures
Solution Approach 1:
The microwire assembly is divided into multiple sections along its length, with each section containing a specific number of microwires. By varying the number of microwires in different sections, the tool achieves differentiated rigidity along its length, allowing the distal portion to be more flexible for navigation while maintaining proximal strength for structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the micrawire assembly have different numbers of microwires, creating local variations in rigidity. The distal sections have fewer microwires for flexibility and navigation, while proximal sections have more microwires for strength and torque transmission,实现ing both structural integrity and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If invasive tools are made flexible to navigate vascular structures, then ease of operation is improved, but strength deteriorates due to insufficient torque transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The micrawire assembly is segmented into multiple sections with varying numbers of micrawires.proximal sections contain more micrawires for strong torque transmission, while distal sections have fewer micrawires for flexibility, resolving the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly exhibits local quality variations where proximal sections have higher rigidity for torque transmission and distal sections have lower rigidity for navigation, allowing both strong torque transmission and ease of operation to coexist.
3Ease of manufacture
If invasive tools use uniform rigidity throughout, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but adaptability deteriorates due to inability to provide varying rigidity profiles
Solution Approach 1:
The micrawire assembly is divided into multiple sections that can be independently configured with different numbers of micrawires. This segmentation allows customization of rigidity profiles for different applications while using standard manufacturing processes, achieving both ease of manufacture and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly allows dynamic adjustment of rigidity characteristics by varying the number of micrawires in different sections, enabling the same basic manufacturing process to produce tools with different rigidity profiles adapted to specific medical procedures.
4Adaptability or versatility
If invasive tools are designed with controlled rigidity profiles, then adaptability is improved for specific interventions, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tool achieves tailored rigidity profiles through local quality variations in the micrawire assembly, where different sections have different numbers of micrawires. This approach provides adaptability for specific interventions without requiring fundamentally different device architectures, thus limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The micrawire assembly design serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, enables torque transmission, and allows customization of rigidity profiles. By integrating these functions into a single versatile component, the invention achieves adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An invasive tool with controlled rigidity has a distal portion which supports a controlled rigidity profiled structure to provide a desired profile of rigidity. In one embodiment, the profiled structure is formed by helical winding of a strip of side by side disposed microwires into a sequence of same distally extending sections having the same rigidity. For control of rigidity, selected microwires from chosen sections are terminated. Thereby, the degree of relative rigidity each one of the chosen sections may be reduced to provide a profile of desired rigidity. Construction of the profiled structure uses a wire winding machine, and a laser machine to terminate microwires. Thereafter, the profiled structure is integrated in the distal portion of an invasive tool, as well known in the art, whereby an invasive tool with controlled rigidity is provided.