Offset Balloon Stabilizes Catheter Visualization Focal Length
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive heart valve procedures face challenges due to inadequate visualization within a patient's beating heart, limiting the effectiveness of treatments for heart valve diseases like regurgitation.
Innovation Solution
The development of radially-directed balloon visualization devices with an offset balloon and visualization elements, such as cameras or ultrasound sensors, that maintain a consistent focal length and allow for radial visualization of anatomical areas, enabling improved imaging during procedures by positioning the balloon to stabilize the visualization element relative to the anatomical target.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a visualization element is positioned at the distal end of a catheter shaft for minimally invasive heart valve procedures, then the ability to visualize anatomy is improved, but the focal length becomes unstable and deforms when advancing the device through blood vessels
Solution Approach 1:
An offset balloon is introduced as an intermediary component between the catheter shaft and the visualization element. The balloon maintains a fixed radial distance from the shaft, creating a stable platform that decouples the visualization element's position from shaft movements. This mediator absorbs the instability caused by advancing the catheter through blood vessels, preserving focal length consistency while enabling minimally invasive access.
Solution Approach 2:
The visualization element is nested within the offset balloon structure, which itself is coupled to the catheter shaft. This nested arrangement allows the visualization element to be positioned at the distal end for optimal imaging while being stabilized by the balloon's fixed geometry. The nested structure maintains consistent spacing between the shaft and visualization element, preventing focal length deformation during advancement.
2Measurement precision
If open heart surgery is used to treat heart valve disease, then adequate visualization is achieved, but the invasiveness of the procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The offset balloon serves as a mediator that enables adequate visualization in minimally invasive procedures by providing a stable imaging platform. This allows the benefits of open heart surgery visualization to be achieved without the harmful effects of surgical invasiveness, as the balloon-stabilized catheter can maintain consistent focal length and image quality through the bloodstream to reach heart valves.
Data Source
AI summary
A visualization catheter includes an elongate shaft, a cap portion, and an offset balloon coupled to the distal end of the shaft. The elongate shaft includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a central axis defined therebetween. The cap portion is coupled to the distal end of the shaft. The cap portion also includes a visualization element and defines an aperture. The offset balloon is coupled to the distal end of the shaft and encapsulates the cap portion. The offset balloon defines a center point offset relative to the central axis of the shaft.