Medical Snare With Capture And Threader Loops For Lead Retrieval

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing medical snares lack precision in deploying and manipulating components for capturing medical devices like pacemaker and defibrillator leads, prolonging retrieval procedures without significantly improving patient outcomes.

Innovation Solution

The development of a snare with an outer sheath, an elongate member, a capture member with a throat region and perpendicular loop, and a threader member, allowing for precise capture and retrieval of medical devices through a handle with a plunger and control mechanism, enabling efficient navigation and retrieval within the body.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If existing snare designs are used, then the retrieval procedure can be completed, but the precision in deployment and manipulation of components is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision in deployment and manipulationVSAvoidretrieval procedure time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The snare is divided into distinct functional components: an outer sheath, an inner elongate member, a capture member with a loop, and a threader member with a loop. Each component can be independently deployed and manipulated through separate lumens, allowing precise control over the capture mechanism while maintaining efficient retrieval operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The capture member and threader member are designed to be axially movable within the elongate member lumen, enabling dynamic adjustment of their positions and configurations. This allows the loops to be deployed at precise locations and manipulated to capture devices accurately, while the entire assembly can be retracted efficiently for retrieval.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If existing snare designs are used, then retrieval can be performed, but the manipulation precision of capture components is inadequate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanipulation precision of capture componentsVSAvoidease of capture and retrieval
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The capture member and threader member are nested within the elongate member, which itself is within the outer sheath. This nested arrangement allows each component to be independently positioned and manipulated through its own lumen while maintaining a compact structure, enhancing both precision of capture and ease of operation during retrieval.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The elongate member acts as an intermediary structure that contains and guides both the capture member and threader member. Its lumens provide controlled pathways for deploying and manipulating these components, enabling precise capture operations while simplifying the overall operation through a unified structural framework.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If existing snare designs are used, then medical devices can be retrieved, but the overall efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveretrieval efficiencyVSAvoidprocedural time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The snare components are pre-configured within the outer sheath in a ready-to-deploy arrangement. The capture member and threader member can be quickly advanced through the elongate member lumens to their target positions before capture is needed, and the entire assembly can be rapidly retracted for removal, significantly reducing procedural time while maintaining high efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4349284A1Medical snare
Publication Date: 2024.04.10 MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC
  • EP4349284A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4349284A1 patent drawingFigure 3A~4B
  • EP4349284A1 patent drawingFigure 5A~6B

AI summary

Snares for retrieval of medical devices from the body of an animal, medical assemblies, kits, and methods of retrieving a medical device from the body of an animal are described. An example snare comprises an outer sheath defining an outer sheath lumen; an elongate member disposed in the outer sheath lumen and having a longitudinal axis and at least one elongate member lumen; a capture member disposed and axially movable within the at least one elongate member lumen, the capture member defining a capture loop having a throat region and a portion extending along a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongate member; and a threader member disposed and axially movable within the at least one elongate member lumen, the threader member defining a threader loop. A handle includes a rotatable control member for deflecting a distal end of the outer sheath.