Motorized Intracardiac Echocardiography Catheter Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current steering systems for intracardiac echocardiography catheters face challenges in manipulability, particularly during procedures like mitral valve replacement, where complex catheter motions and bending are required, due to limited degrees of freedom and difficulty in controlling multiple bending axes simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
Integration of motors within the catheter handle to control steering wires, allowing for active steering with multiple bends in complex patterns, and a modular design where the motor part is reusable and the steering wire part is disposable, enabling more precise and ergonomic control of the catheter tip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual steering with limited degrees of freedom is used, then device complexity is reduced, but catheter dexterity and ability to perform complex motions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into multiple steerable segments along its length, with each segment controlled by independent steering wires and motors. This segmentation allows complex catheter motions through coordinated bending of individual segments, resolving the contradiction by enabling high dexterity while distributing system complexity across modular components.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical steering control is replaced with integrated motors that actively control the steering wires. This substitution provides more precise and programmable control over catheter positioning, enabling complex motion patterns that would be difficult to achieve manually while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated control.
2Ease of operation
If multiple steering wires and motors are integrated for complex catheter motions, then catheter controllability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to operator fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated motors provide automated control of the steering wires, reducing the physical effort required by the operator. The system serves itself by using motorized actuation to maintain catheter position and orientation, eliminating the need for continuous manual manipulation of multiple steering mechanisms and thereby reducing operator fatigue while maintaining high controllability.
3Loss of substance
If the handle is made reusable with detachable steering wire part, then loss of substance is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is segmented into a reusable motor housing and a disposable steering wire assembly that can be detached and replaced. This modular design allows the expensive motor components to be reused while only the consumable steering wires are discarded, reducing overall material loss while accepting the increased complexity of modular assembly and connection interfaces.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances catheter dexterity and reduces operator fatigue by automating the bending process, improving controllability and allowing for more complex catheter motions, which is beneficial for procedures requiring intricate catheter positioning.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of linear motors connects without gearing to the steering wires of the intra-cardiac echocardiography catheter. The linear motors are in the handle of the intra-cardiac echocardiography catheter.
Data Source
AI summary
For active control of steering, one or more motors integrated into an intra-cardiac echocardiography catheter handle control the bending. Multiple sets of motors may be used to control steering wires anchored at different segments along the catheter, allowing steering with multiple bends in complex patterns controlled by a controller. The handle may be releasably separated into a reusable motor part and a disposable steering wire part so that the more complex and expensive motor part is not discarded and so that the number of motors may be matched to the number of steering wires.