Re-entry Catheter Deflectable Struts Stabilization

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current re-entry catheters face challenges in navigating through occluded vessels, particularly in creating a passageway from a subintimal area back to the true lumen, due to difficulties in maintaining rotational orientation, stiffness, and flexibility, which complicates procedures like percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and stent delivery.

Innovation Solution

A re-entry catheter design featuring an elongated outer tubular member with deflectable struts made from nickel-titanium alloy, an actuating member to radially expand the struts, and a lateral port for advancing a guidewire or cannula, allowing for stabilization and support while forming a passageway from the subintimal area to the true lumen.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the catheter is made sufficiently flexible to navigate tortuous vasculature, then trackability is improved, but stiffness and pushability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovetrackabilityVSAvoidstiffness

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter shaft is divided into multiple articulated segments that can flex relative to each other, allowing the catheter to navigate tortuous vasculature while maintaining overall structural integrity and pushability through the segmented construction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The catheter incorporates composite materials with varying mechanical properties along its length, providing flexible distal portions for navigation while maintaining stiffer proximal portions for pushability and torque transmission

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Manufacturing precision

If the catheter tip is stabilized to maintain rotational orientation for passageway formation, then re-entry precision is improved, but flexibility and trackability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvere-entry precisionVSAvoidflexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter is segmented into a flexible distal portion for navigation and a stabilized proximal portion for precise re-entry, with articulation points that allow the flexible section to move independently while the proximal section maintains rotational stability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The catheter incorporates a rotatable component that allows independent rotation of the distal tip relative to the proximal shaft, enabling the tip to maintain orientation for passageway formation while the shaft remains flexible for navigation through tortuous vessels

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Strength

If the catheter is made stiffer to improve pushability and torque transmission, then stiffness is improved, but flexibility and ability to navigate tight bends deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovestiffnessVSAvoidflexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the catheter have different stiffness characteristics - the distal portion is more flexible for navigation while the proximal portion is stiffer for pushability, with transition zones that provide gradual mechanical property changes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 catheter effectively facilitates the creation of a passageway into the true lumen by stabilizing the distal tip and providing sufficient stiffness and flexibility to navigate through tortuous vasculature, enhancing the success of interventions like angioplasty and stent delivery.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of deflectable struts arranged longitudinally within the window, and an actuating member coaxially disposed within the outer tubular member, wherein proximal ends of the deflectable struts are operatively connected to a distal end of the actuating member, such that axial motion of the actuating member relative to the outer tubular member deflects the struts radially outward

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSuperelasticity: Pseudoelasticity

Data Source

PatentUS10335174B2System and method for re-entering a vessel lumen

Publication Date: 2019.07.02 CORDIS US CORP

AI summary

This disclosure is directed to systems and methods for re-entering the true lumen of a vessel. The re-entry catheters employ deflectable struts to stabilize and support the distal tip in a subintimal location while a passageway back into the true lumen is formed. Re-entry to the true lumen can be effected with a cutting element or with a conventional guidewire.