Segmented Catheter Joints for Implant Delivery Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current delivery catheters lack torsional stiffness, making it difficult to thread and position implant devices through tortuous anatomy and lack control over the distal end, especially when the implant has a substantial profile and requires precise orientation.
Innovation Solution
A catheter design with specific joints that provide rotational rigidity between the proximal and distal ends, allowing for controlled manipulation of the implant's position by rotating the proximal end, and a flexible conical portion for implant ejection, eliminating the need for the implant to navigate tortuous bends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the delivery catheter is made flexible to navigate tortuous anatomy, then the catheter can be threaded through tight corners, but the surgeon loses control over the distal end orientation and positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into multiple segments or digits connected by joints, allowing each segment to navigate tortuous anatomy independently while maintaining overall control. The proximal digit can be manipulated to navigate the delivery path, while the distal digit maintains positioning control through the joint connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter incorporates dynamic joints that allow controlled movement and bending at specific locations while maintaining rigidity in other sections. This enables the catheter to adapt its shape for navigation while preserving operational control over the distal end through pullwires or actuation mechanisms.
2Reliability
If the implant device has a substantial profile for stable positioning, then the implant can be securely placed, but the surgeon encounters difficulty threading it through tight corners of the delivery catheter
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery catheter is designed with a dilated or expanded distal end that creates a temporary pathway, allowing the implant to be threaded through before final positioning. This preliminary expansion facilitates the passage of substantial profile implants through tight corners without compromising subsequent positioning stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant is nested within the delivery catheter bore, with the catheter acting as a protective tunnel. The catheter's distal end can be manipulated to create space, allowing the implant to be advanced through tight corners while maintaining its protected, nested position within the catheter structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the delivery catheter lacks torsional stiffness to accommodate tortuous paths, then the catheter can be threaded through anatomy, but the surgeon cannot manipulate the distal end by manipulating the proximal end
Solution Approach 1:
Pullwires or actuation mechanisms serve as intermediaries between the proximal control handle and the distal end of the catheter. These pullwires transmit force and manipulation from the proximal end through the tortuous path to the distal end, enabling control without requiring direct manipulation or adding complex mechanical linkages throughout the entire catheter length.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for delivering an implant including, a catheter having a shaft defined by a proximal end and a distal end and a bore extending therethrough; a first joint in the shaft, and a second joint in the shaft located distal of the first joint. The first joint and the second joint are separated by a first digit sized to receive the implant and located between the first joint and the second joint. The second joint and the distal end are separated by a second digit being sized to receive the implant. The implant is advanced through the first digit and into the second digit without bending the implant or the first and second digits by rotating the digits at the first joint and the second joint.