Segmented Balloon Catheter Shaft for Bent Vessel Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional balloon catheters face difficulties in navigating bent blood vessels due to uniform flexibility throughout the catheter, making it hard to insert the distal end close to lesions, thereby hindering effective treatment.
Innovation Solution
A balloon catheter design featuring a first shaft portion with increased flexibility and a length of 1.5 cm or more, integrated with a hydrophilic coating and distinct Shore hardness, allowing easier insertion and improved torque transmissibility, along with side holes for enhanced recovery capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the catheter distal portion has the same flexibility as the balloon joint portion, then the shaft structure is simple and uniform, but it becomes difficult to insert the catheter distal portion into bent parts of blood vessels and reach lesions
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is divided into multiple sections with different flexibility characteristics: a first shaft portion (more flexible, 1.5cm or more in length) and a second shaft portion (less flexible). This segmentation allows the catheter to navigate bent blood vessels while maintaining structural integrity and torque transmissibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the shaft are assigned different flexibility properties to meet specific functional requirements. The first shaft portion has higher flexibility for navigating bends, while the second shaft portion maintains lower flexibility for stable balloon positioning and torque transmission, creating localized functional optimization.
2Ease of operation
If a first shaft portion with higher flexibility is added to enable insertion into bent vessels, then insertability improves, but the shaft structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is segmented into functional zones: the first shaft portion (1.5cm+, more flexible) extends beyond the balloon to reach lesions in bent vessels, while the second shaft portion provides structural support. This segmentation achieves improved lesion accessibility with controlled added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The first shaft portion is specifically designed with different flexibility characteristics (Shore hardness D47 or less, preferably D40 or less) compared to the second shaft portion, creating localized functional differentiation that enables navigation of bent vessels while maintaining overall device performance.
3Ease of operation
If the outer layer of the first shaft portion uses resin material with Shore hardness of D47 or less, then flexibility and insertability improve, but torque transmissibility may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The first shaft portion uses softer resin material (Shore hardness D47 or less, preferably D40 or less) to achieve flexibility for navigating bent vessels, while the second shaft portion uses harder material for torque transmission. This localized material differentiation balances flexibility and torque transmissibility requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft employs composite material construction with different resin materials in different portions. The first shaft portion uses softer material for flexibility, while the overall shaft structure maintains torque transmissibility through the combination of materials and structural design.
Data Source
AI summary
A balloon catheter includes a shaft having a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion located on a proximal side of the first shaft portion, and a balloon covering and joined to the second shaft portion. The first shaft portion is more flexible than the second shaft portion and has a length in an axial direction of 1.5 cm or more.