Multi-Lumen IVC Filter Retrieval Device with Cutting Head
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing inferior vena cava filters (IVC filters) are challenging due to the difficulty in snaring and retrieving filters anchored to the vein wall, especially when hooks or parts become embedded, making it hard to dislodge and remove them safely.
Innovation Solution
A multi-lumen retrieval device with a snare and a removal assist device, including a cutting head and pull wire, that can be deployed through the sheath to dislodge and cut the filter from the vein wall, allowing for safer and more effective removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a snare and retrieval sheath are used to remove IVC filters, then filter removal is possible, but the procedure becomes difficult when filters are anchored to the vein wall with embedded hooks
Solution Approach 1:
The retrieval device is divided into multiple functional components: a snare for capturing the filter, a retrieval sheath for containing the filter, and a cutting device with a cutting head for severing embedded hooks. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, making the overall retrieval process more reliable when filters are anchored to the vein wall.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting head acts as an intermediary tool between the retrieval sheath and the embedded filter hooks. It is deployed through the sheath to cut the hooks free from the vein wall, enabling the snare to then retract the filter into the sheath for removal. This intermediary cutting function resolves the difficulty of retrieving anchored filters.
2Ease of operation
If additional devices such as cutting devices are added to assist filter removal, then embedded hooks can be cut, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting device is integrated within the retrieval sheath structure, with the cutting head stored inside the sheath and deployable through its sidewall. This merging of the cutting function into the existing retrieval device reduces overall system complexity compared to using separate independent devices, while still providing the capability to cut embedded hooks.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting head is nested within the retrieval sheath, allowing it to be stored compactly during insertion and then deployed through the sheath's sidewall when needed. This nesting arrangement minimizes the space required and simplifies the device structure while maintaining the ability to perform cutting operations on embedded hooks.
3Measurement precision
If the cutting head is deployed through the sidewall of the sheath, then precise cutting of embedded hooks is enabled, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The sheath is designed with a specific sidewall opening that allows the cutting head to be deployed precisely at the location where embedded hooks need to be cut. This localized deployment capability provides precise cutting control without requiring complex structural modifications throughout the entire sheath, maintaining simplicity while achieving precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for retrieving items endovascularly includes a sheath having a first lumen containing a snare that can be deployed out a distal end of the sheath and retracted back into the sheath for pulling an IVC filter into the sheath. The sheath has a second lumen that opens through a sidewall of the sheath proximal of the distal end. The second lumen contains a removal assist device that can be deployed through the sidewall and used to dislodge and/or cut an item to be retrieved from a vein wall. The removal assist device includes a catheter, a cutting head, and a pull wire. The pull wire has a proximal portion protruding from a proximal end of the catheter and a distal end connected to the cutting head. The pull wire is movable within the catheter to selectively extend and retract the cutting head from the distal end of the catheter.