Occluding Catheter with Filtering Mesh for Emboli Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current anti-embolic devices are complex, invasive, and pose a high risk of additional trauma to the inner vessel wall, failing to effectively prevent cerebral emboli and stroke during cardiovascular surgery, particularly due to their inability to capture emboli smaller than 60-140 μm and poor apposition to the aortic or carotid arterial wall.
Innovation Solution
An occluding catheter with a filtering mesh is introduced into the circulatory system, featuring a pair of occluding balloons and a filtering mesh that can be inflated to block blood flow and trap emboli, allowing for bilateral occlusion of carotid arteries and simultaneous filtering of emboli, while maintaining blood flow to the brain by partial deflation of the balloons, and adjustable pore size to capture emboli of various sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If intra-aortic filter devices are inserted into the ascending portion of the thoracic aorta via an aortic cannula to capture potential embolic material, then emboli capture capability is improved, but the procedure becomes difficult to implement and is associated with major trauma to aortic wall and acute aortic dissection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a porous deflector/intra-aortic shield as an intermediary device that captures or diverts potential emboli into the distal vascular without requiring direct insertion into the ascending aorta. This mediator approach allows emboli capture while avoiding the harmful direct cannulation of the aortic wall, thus preventing aortic dissection and major trauma.
2Device complexity
If intravascular filters with pore sizes of 60-140 μm are used to prevent emboli, then device simplicity is improved, but emboli smaller than the pore size are not captured resulting in cerebral microembolization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a filtering mesh with variable pore sizes distributed across different regions of the mesh structure. This local quality variation allows the device to capture emboli of various sizes simultaneously - larger pores allow blood flow while smaller pores capture microemboli, achieving comprehensive emboli protection without requiring a single standardized pore size that would compromise either flow or capture effectiveness.
3Reliability
If additional hardware is inserted into the arterial system or aorta to prevent emboli, then emboli prevention capability is improved, but the risk of additional trauma and complications increases including aortic dissection, bleeding, thrombosis, and carotid cerebral embolization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes a flexible filtering mesh that can be deployed within the arterial system without requiring rigid hardware insertion. This flexible film structure conforms to the vessel geometry, minimizing trauma to the arterial wall and reducing the risk of complications such as aortic dissection and bleeding, while still providing effective emboli prevention through its filtering capability.
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
The occluding catheter effectively prevents emboli from entering the carotid arteries by blocking and filtering blood flow, reducing the risk of stroke by capturing emboli of all sizes, including those smaller than 60 μm, and minimizing trauma to the vessel walls, thereby enhancing patient safety during cardiovascular procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a proximal occluding balloon and a distal occluding balloon... which can be inflated to block blood flow
Implementation Method 2
a filtering mesh that can be inflated to block blood flow and trap emboli, allowing for bilateral occlusion of carotid arteries and simultaneous filtering of emboli
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter for prevention of stroke by diverting and filtering the blood flow to carotid and vertebral arteries is provided. The catheter includes at least one balloon with an outer mesh cover that expands upon the balloon inflation and collapses upon balloon deflation. Partial inflation of balloons provides for full mesh expansion in the target vessel with resulting capturing and retrieval of embolic particles. The inflation of the balloon in the aortic arch or head vessels expands the balloon associated filtering mesh leading to both filtering and deflection of embolic particles from the cerebral circulation, while balloon deflation triggers the mesh collapse and promotes its recapturing and retrieval while minimizing the risk of spillage of captured emboli.