Inverted Catheter Sleeve Everts Across Vessel Obstruction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Obstructions within body cavities and vessels hinder access and movement, posing challenges during surgical procedures and increasing the risk of vessel damage during attempts to pass devices across obstructions.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a sleeve with a distal portion that can invert and evert to create a pathway across obstructions, assisted by a balloon that inflates to extend the sleeve and provide access, minimizing damage to vessel walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If repeated attempts and increased advancement force are used to pass a catheter across an obstruction, then access across the obstruction is achieved, but vessel perforation or laceration may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (the catheter with inverted distal portion) that acts as a mediator between the operator and the vessel wall. The inverted configuration creates a buffer zone that prevents direct contact between advancement forces and the vessel wall, allowing access to be achieved without transmitting harmful forces to the vessel.
Solution Approach 2:
The inverted distal portion of the catheter serves as a pre-positioned cushioning element. By inverting the distal portion before advancement, the patent creates a protective buffer that absorbs and distributes advancement forces, preventing these forces from being transmitted directly to the vessel wall and thus preventing perforation or laceration.
2Ease of operation
If a catheter is advanced across an obstruction in the vessel, then access to distal sites is achieved, but the risk of vessel damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inverted distal portion acts as an intermediary structure that facilitates passage across obstructions while protecting vessel integrity. This mediator allows the catheter to navigate through constrictions without directly engaging the vessel wall in a manner that would compromise reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies inversion by configuring the distal portion of the catheter in an inverted manner. This inverted configuration reverses the normal orientation, creating a protective structure that maintains vessel integrity while enabling access to distal sites. The inversion transforms the distal portion into a protective element rather than a potential source of damage.
3Ease of operation
If the distal portion of the sleeve is moved from inverted to everted position, then pathway across obstruction is created, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sleeve structure incorporates dynamic characteristics by allowing the distal portion to transition between inverted and everted positions. This dynamic capability enables the sleeve to adapt its configuration based on operational needs, creating pathways across obstructions while maintaining a relatively simple base structure that can transform as required.
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
Enables easier passage across obstructions while reducing the risk of vessel perforation or laceration, allowing for safe delivery of devices past blocked areas in vessels.
Implementation Method 1
A balloon situated within the sleeve can be extended so as to evert sleeve
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing access across a site of obstruction is provided. The system may include a sleeve, having a distal portion that can move from an inverted position to an everted position. A balloon situated within the sleeve can be extended so as to evert sleeve. A pathway can extend across a juncture between the distal portion and the remaining portion of the sleeve so as to provide access across the site of obstruction. A method for providing access across the site of obstruction is also provided.