Malleable Cannula with Segmented Struts for Anatomical Shaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cannula designs for medical devices, such as those used in blood pumps, often require reinforcement structures to prevent kinking, but these structures limit the ability to customize the cannula shape to a patient's anatomy and can be difficult to assemble or damage easily.
Innovation Solution
A malleable cannula design featuring a malleable member with a longitudinal strut and transverse struts that allows the cannula to be bent and shaped to fit individual anatomy without breaking, using materials like annealed steel or titanium for flexibility and stability, and incorporating features like tissue in-growth bands to prevent occlusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a reinforcement structure (metallic or polymeric braid or coil) is added to the cannula, then the likelihood of kink formation is reduced, but the ability to customize the shape of the cannula to a patient's anatomy is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement structure is divided into multiple discrete coils spaced along the cannula length, allowing independent deformation of each segment to accommodate anatomical variations while maintaining overall structural support and preventing kinks in critical sections
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement structure uses a flexible coil design that can dynamically adapt its shape during insertion and positioning, allowing the cannula to be customized to patient anatomy while the coils provide continuous support to prevent kink formation under physiological conditions
2Stability of the object's composition
If a malleable device (tube or rod) extending the length of the cannula is added for retaining shape, then the cannula shape is maintained, but the device requires assembly by the physician or may move relative to the reinforcement structure, inadvertently altering the shape or damaging the cannula material
Solution Approach 1:
The malleable device is integrated with the reinforcement structure by embedding it within the coil assembly, creating a unified component that maintains shape while eliminating separate assembly steps and preventing relative movement that could alter cannula configuration or damage materials
Solution Approach 2:
The malleable rod is nested within the reinforcement coils, allowing the inner rod to provide shape memory while the outer coils provide structural support, with both components working together as a single integrated system that requires no physician assembly
3Stability of the object's composition
If a malleable device is added to retain cannula shape, then the desired shape is maintained, but the cannula material may become damaged due to movement relative to the reinforcement structure
Solution Approach 1:
The malleable device and reinforcement structure are merged into a single integrated component, eliminating relative movement between parts that could cause material damage while maintaining the desired cannula shape through the combined structural support
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A malleable cannula (50). The malleable cannula (50) includes a polymeric jacket (96) and a malleable member (94). The malleable member (94), being surrounded by the jacket (96), includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending therebetween and along a lengthwise axis of the malleable cannula (50). The malleable member (94) further includes a longitudinal strut (98) that is parallel to the lengthwise axis and a plurality of transverse struts (100) coupled to and extending laterally away from the longitudinal strut (98) and at least a portion of the lumen. The malleable member (94) is configured to assume and maintain a shape of the malleable cannula (50).