Nitinol Occlusion Plug for Narrow Catheter Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current occlusive devices for blood vessels, such as embolic coils and occlusion plugs, face challenges in delivering effective occlusion while navigating tortuous vascular structures and varying vessel sizes, with embolic coils requiring multiple deployments and occlusion plugs being too large for narrow catheters.
Innovation Solution
A single elongate nitinol wire occlusive device that can be straightened for delivery through microcatheters, expanding into a spiraling shape with a ovoid, spherical, or funnel-shaped configuration, optionally with polymer fibers and a radiopaque marker, allowing for efficient occlusion of larger vascular structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If occlusion plugs are used to efficiently occlude large-gauge vessels, then occlusion effectiveness is improved, but deliverability through tortuous vascular structures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The occlusion plug is segmented into multiple expandable segments along its length, allowing it to be compressed to a small diameter for delivery through narrow catheters while maintaining the capability to expand to a large diameter for effective occlusion of large-gauge vessels
Solution Approach 2:
The occlusion plug employs dynamic shape memory material (nitinol) that allows the device to transition from a compressed delivery configuration to an expanded occlusion configuration, enabling both deliverability through tortuous structures and effective occlusion of large vessels
2Reliability
If multiple embolic coils are deployed to occlude larger vascular structures, then occlusion effectiveness is improved, but procedural time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the occlusion capabilities of multiple coils into a single plug device, combining multiple functional elements into one integrated structure that can occlude large vascular structures in a single deployment, thereby reducing procedural time and the number of devices required
3Ease of manufacture
If occlusion plugs are used for large-gauge vessels, then material cost per unit is reduced, but catheter bore size requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The occlusion plug utilizes dimensional transformation by being compressible to a small diameter for delivery through narrow catheters and expandable to a large diameter for occlusion, effectively adding the dimension of temporal transformation (compressed state during delivery, expanded state during occlusion)
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 delivery through narrower catheters, effective occlusion of larger vessels, and reduced procedural time and cost by combining the deliverability of embolic coils with the occlusive capabilities of occlusion plugs, while being cost-effective and adaptable to various vessel sizes.
Implementation Method 1
The occlusion plug, like the embolic coil, is capable of collapsing to a narrow diameter (for example to fit within the lumen of a delivery catheter) and then expanding to a relatively larger diameter which occludes the vessel of interest
Data Source
AI summary
Occlusive plugs are provided which comprise a single elongate member that is insertable into and through a microcatheter and assumes a space-occupying shape when deployed into a vascular structure. The elongate member optionally includes one or more polymer fibers, one or more polymer sleeves to secure the polymer fibers to the elongate member, and/or a radiopaque marker band.