Deflectable MRI Catheter with Loop Antenna Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional catheters are not well-suited for use in MRI environments due to ferromagnetic components that pose safety hazards and cause image distortions, and they lack effective tracking and visualization capabilities, making it difficult to precisely deliver therapeutic agents to infarcted myocardial tissue.
Innovation Solution
A deflectable tip catheter designed with a bi-directional guide catheter configuration, including a deflectable tip section, first and second pull wires forming a loop antenna, and non-magnetic inductor loop coils, allowing for active tracking and safe use in MRI environments without excessive RF deposition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional catheters with ferromagnetic components are used in MRI environments, then catheter structure and functionality are maintained, but safety hazards and image distortions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes ferromagnetic components from the catheter structure and replaces them with non-ferromagnetic materials such as nitinol and polymer coatings. This extraction of harmful ferromagnetic elements eliminates the source of image distortion while maintaining the catheter's mechanical functionality and safety in MRI environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the magnetic properties of the catheter materials from ferromagnetic to non-ferromagnetic. By selecting materials with specific magnetic characteristics (non-ferromagnetic nitinol and polymer coatings), the catheter becomes compatible with MRI environments, preventing image distortion and safety hazards while maintaining structural integrity.
2Ease of operation
If conventional catheters are used in MRI environments, then catheter functionality is maintained, but tracking and visualization capabilities are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies MRI-visible coatings or markers to the catheter surface that appear as distinct signals in MRI images. These visual indicators allow real-time tracking and visualization of the catheter's position and orientation within the heart, providing comprehensive spatial information without obscuring anatomical details.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces MRI-compatible tracking markers or coatings as intermediaries between the catheter and the MRI imaging system. These markers serve as mediators that enable the MRI system to detect and visualize the catheter's position, translating mechanical presence into visible spatial information for precise navigation.
3Strength
If ferromagnetic components are present in the catheter, then catheter structural integrity is maintained, but tissue damage due to RF deposition occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes ferromagnetic components that generate excessive RF-induced heat and replaces them with non-ferromagnetic materials. This extraction eliminates the harmful heat generation mechanism while maintaining the catheter's structural integrity through alternative material selections such as nitinol and polymer coatings with appropriate mechanical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction combining non-ferromagnetic nitinol with polymer coatings. This composite structure maintains catheter strength and flexibility while preventing RF-induced heating and tissue damage, as the polymer coating acts as an RF shield and the nitinol provides structural support without ferromagnetic properties.
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
Enables safe and precise visualization and tracking of the catheter within an MRI environment, preventing image distortion and tissue damage, while allowing for effective delivery of therapeutic agents and deployment of surgical instruments.
Implementation Method 1
A deflectable tip catheter for use in an MRI environment is described. The catheter comprises a deflectable tip section and an RF antenna.
Implementation Method 2
non-magnetic inductor loop coils, allowing for active tracking and safe use in MRI environments without excessive RF deposition
Data Source
AI summary
A deflectable tip catheter that is safe and effective for use in a magnetic resonance imaging environment. The deflectable tip catheter is configured such that it includes a built-in antenna, such as a loopless antenna or a loop antenna. The built-in antenna permits the deflectable tip catheter to be actively tracked and/or visualized. Depending upon the specific configuration of the deflectable tip catheter, the catheter may be tracked and/or visualized as a single unit, it may be tracked and/or visualized separate and independent of other components or instruments associated with the catheter, such as pull wires, injection needles, surgical instruments, and the like. The catheters described herein include injection type catheters and/or guidance type catheters.