Low-Profile Occlusion Catheter with Segmented Shaft for Torque and Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional balloon catheters fail to balance the need for a stiff proximal segment for torque transmission and a flexible distal segment for navigation through tortuous vasculature without causing trauma or perforation, particularly in vascular occlusion procedures.
Innovation Solution
The occlusion catheter system features a design with a first catheter member providing column strength, a second member with a lumen for fluid communication, and a third member with a guiding atraumatic tip, allowing for a stiff proximal segment and flexible distal segment configuration, along with an expandable occlusion member for vascular occlusion, while minimizing trauma and preventing entry into collateral vessels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If high strength materials are used in the proximal segment to provide stiffness for torque transmission, then torque transmission capability is improved, but the overall catheter profile increases and flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter shaft is divided into multiple segments with different stiffness characteristics. The proximal segment contains high strength materials for torque transmission, while distal segments use progressively softer materials for flexibility and low profile, resolving the contradiction between stiffness and profile requirements
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the catheter shaft are assigned different material properties and structural characteristics. The proximal portion has higher strength and stiffness for torque transmission, while the distal portion has lower strength and higher flexibility for navigation, allowing each local region to optimize its function
2Stability of the object's composition
If high strength materials are used to prevent shaft buckling during balloon inflation, then structural stability is improved, but the catheter becomes less flexible and more traumatic to vessels
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is segmented into proximal and distal portions with different material properties. The proximal segment provides structural stability for balloon inflation, while the distal segment uses softer materials to minimize vascular trauma during navigation
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter shaft exhibits local quality variations where the proximal portion has high strength and stiffness for buckling resistance, while the distal portion has low strength and high flexibility to conform to vessel walls and prevent perforation
3Length of moving object
If the catheter is designed with a low profile for passage through severe vascular obstructions, then trackability is improved, but the proximal segment becomes too flexible for adequate torque transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into functional segments where the proximal portion maintains a larger profile with high strength materials for torque transmission, while the distal portion tapers to a low profile for navigation through obstructions, reconciling the conflicting requirements
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the catheter have different profile dimensions and material properties. The proximal segment has larger diameter and higher strength for torque transmission, while the distal segment has smaller diameter and higher flexibility for low-profile passage
4Ease of operation
If the distal segment is made highly flexible for navigation through tortuous vasculature, then maneuverability is improved, but the catheter loses the ability to prevent entry into collateral vessels
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is segmented into a flexible distal portion for navigation through tortuous vessels and a stiffer proximal portion that provides mechanical support to prevent excessive distal tip deflection into collateral vessels, balancing maneuverability with tracking accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The distal segment has high flexibility for maneuverability while the proximal segment has higher stiffness to provide structural support and prevent collateral vessel entry, with each segment optimized for its specific functional requirement
Data Source
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AI summary
A low profile occlusion catheter having a guiding atraumatic tip that prevents entry of the balloon into collateral vessels. The occlusion catheter system is particularly well suited for use in vascular occlusion and includes a pressure monitoring line to monitor the degree and state of occlusion.