Microcatheter Cut-Pattern Structure for Tortuous Vessel Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing catheters face challenges in navigating deep into fine cardiovascular and neurovascular tortuous pathways while maintaining flexibility, torquability, pushability, and structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
A microcatheter design with a tubular reinforcement wall featuring a cut pattern and an inner liner, where the skeleton cut-away ratio gradually increases in distal sections, combined with a heat-shrinkable outer tube to reinforce the skeleton during expansion, ensuring flexibility and structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a microcatheter is made flexible and navigable through tortuous vasculature, then delivery capability to remote sites is improved, but structural strength and rigidity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The microcatheter is divided into multiple segments including a distal section, intermediate section, and proximal section, each with different flexibility characteristics. The catheter also includes separate functional components such as a radiopaque element, anchoring mechanism, and delivery system that can be independently optimized
Solution Approach 2:
The microcatheter is designed with nested structures including an inner catheter within an outer catheter, and the anchoring mechanism is nested within the catheter body. This allows multiple functions to be integrated while maintaining flexibility
Solution Approach 3:
The catheter employs composite construction combining flexible polymer materials for the catheter body with radiopaque materials (such as barium sulfate or tungsten) embedded within the wall structure, and shape memory alloys or self-expanding nitinol for the anchoring mechanism, achieving both flexibility and structural integrity
2Volume of moving object
If a microcatheter is made smaller in profile for delivery through catheter systems, then deliverability is improved, but visibility and detectability during procedure deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Radiopaque elements are strategically placed at specific locations such as the distal tip, intermediate section, and proximal section of the catheter rather than uniformly throughout. This provides adequate visibility during the procedure while minimizing the overall profile and material usage
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter incorporates radiopaque materials that appear distinct under fluoroscopic imaging, creating high contrast visibility. The radiopaque coating or embedded particles change the appearance of the catheter under X-ray imaging, making it easily detectable despite its small size
3Ease of operation
If a microcatheter is made more flexible to navigate tortuous paths, then ability to reach remote sites is improved, but ability to resist collapse under pressure deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs a dynamic structure where the flexibility and rigidity can adapt to different conditions. The self-expanding anchoring mechanism transitions from a compressed delivery state to an expanded deployed state, dynamically adjusting the catheter's structural properties based on the procedural phase
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter design transitions from a two-dimensional flexible tube to a three-dimensional self-expanding structure with radial strength. The anchoring mechanism expands from a low-profile delivery configuration to a high-strength deployed configuration, adding dimensional stability while maintaining navigability during delivery
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
A microcatheter (1) for interventional cardiovascular and/or neurovascular applications comprises a tubular catheter wall (2), which comprises a proximal section (6), a first distal section (31), a second distal section (32) and a third distal section (33). The catheter wall (2) comprises a skeleton and an inner liner, wherein the skeleton is a tubular reinforcement wall interrupted by a microfabricated cut pattern. An overall skeleton cut-away ratio of the first distal section (31) is at least 40%, an overall skeleton cut-away ratio of the second distal section (32) is at least 50% and an overall skeleton cut-away ratio of the third distal section (33) is at least 60%. The application provides a solution for optimizing the flexibility of the catheter when navigating deep into the very fine cardiovascular and neurovascular tortuous pathways, while still maintaining torquability, pushability, and structural integrity of the catheter.