Microcatheter Interlock Assembly with Tenon Mortise Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current marker bands on interventional devices tend to dislodge from the catheter, leading to potential serious bodily injury and death, and the distal tip of catheters often ovalize due to low hoop strength, making precise guidance and alignment challenging.

Innovation Solution

An interlock assembly featuring a microfabricated tube with a distal ring and a marker band, utilizing tenons and mortises for secure engagement, and a fenestrated segment to enhance hoop strength and prevent deformation, ensuring a stable and accurate placement of the catheter.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a marker band is held in place by crimping a C-shaped radiopaque ribbon around a PTFE liner and laminating a polymer, then the marker band can be attached to the catheter, but the marker band may dislodge and migrate into the patient's vasculature

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemarker band retentionVSAvoidmarker band dislodgement and migration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The marker band is divided into multiple segments with tenons that interlock with corresponding mortises in the catheter structure, creating a segmented but securely connected assembly that prevents dislodgement while maintaining flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The marker band is nested within the catheter structure with interlocking tenons and mortises, creating a hierarchical assembly where the marker band is securely contained within the catheter body, preventing migration while maintaining radiographic visibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Ease of operation

If a soft platinum-iridium crimped marker band ring is used, then the catheter can be flexible for navigation, but the distal tip ovalizes or becomes flat due to low hoop strength

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecatheter flexibilityVSAvoiddistal tip hoop strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter distal tip uses a composite structure combining soft radiopaque marker band material with a reinforced distal ring featuring tenons and mortises, creating a composite assembly that maintains flexibility while providing enhanced hoop strength to prevent ovalization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The distal tip structure is segmented into the marker band ring and the distal ring with interlocking tenons and mortises, allowing each segment to contribute its specific properties - flexibility from the marker band and structural integrity from the distal ring

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20240342436A1Interlock assembly for a microcatheter device

Publication Date: 2024.10.17 SCIENTIA VASCULAR INC

AI summary

Disclosed is an interlock assembly for a catheter with features that provide an improved connection between a marker band and microfabricated tube. The microfabricated tube features radial apertures that reduce the outer diameter of the distal region of the catheter, allow the catheter to fit into smaller size vessels, and permit an outer laminate to flow into the apertures while still having a large structural shape to interlock with the marker band.