Segmented Aspiration Catheter Tip for Tortuous Neurovascular Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current catheter systems for treating acute ischemic stroke face challenges in rapidly accessing and navigating the complex, tortuous neurovasculature, requiring multiple operators and prolonged procedural times, which increases the risk of complications and reduces the chances of successful blood perfusion restoration.
Innovation Solution
A flexible intravascular catheter advancement device with a tapered distal tip and varying material hardness segments, designed for single-operator use, allows for rapid and safe navigation through the neurovasculature, maintaining the natural anatomy and reducing the need for multiple RHVs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional catheter systems are used to navigate complex neurovasculature, then access to cerebral occlusions can be achieved, but procedural time is prolonged and multiple operators are required
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into distinct segments with different material properties: a distal tip segment made of soft flexible material for navigating tortuous vessels, and a proximal shaft segment made of stiffer material for providing structural support and pushability. This segmentation allows the catheter to simultaneously achieve soft tip navigation and firm proximal control, reducing procedural time while maintaining reliable access.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the catheter have locally optimized material properties. The distal tip has lower durometer (softer) material for conforming to vessel walls and navigating bends, while the proximal portion has higher durometer (stiffer) material for transmitting operator forces and maintaining catheter shape. This local quality differentiation enables single-operator control without compromising navigation capability.
2Reliability
If traditional catheter systems are used, then cerebral occlusions can be accessed, but device complexity increases requiring multiple operators
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter combines navigation and support functions into a single integrated device structure. The tapered transition zone merges the soft distal tip and stiff proximal shaft into a continuous form that provides both compliance for navigation and rigidity for control, eliminating the need for separate guide catheters or complex multi-component systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter is designed as a universal platform that can perform multiple functions: navigating tortuous anatomy, delivering treatment devices, and providing aspiration capability. The single catheter structure with its gradient material construction serves all these purposes, reducing system complexity compared to traditional multi-device approaches.
3Ease of manufacture
If catheters with uniform material hardness are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but navigation through tortuous neurovasculature is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter material parameters (durometer, flexibility) are changed along its length to optimize performance. The distal tip uses softer material (lower durometer) for vessel conformity, while the proximal shaft uses stiffer material (higher durometer) for structural support. This parameter gradient is achieved through co-extrusion or multi-layer construction techniques that are manufacturable while providing superior navigation characteristics.
4Ease of operation
If catheters with softer distal tips are used, then navigation through tortuous vessels is improved, but structural support and pushability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is segmented into a soft distal tip portion for navigation and a stiff proximal shaft portion for structural support. The transition zone between these segments provides a gradual change in material properties, allowing the soft tip to conform to vessels while the stiff shaft transmits operator forces effectively, thus maintaining both navigation capability and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter employs composite construction with multiple material layers or sections having different mechanical properties. The distal tip may use a soft polymer material while the proximal shaft uses a stiffer polymer or includes reinforcement elements. This composite structure provides both the compliance needed for navigation and the strength needed for pushability and device delivery.
Data Source
AI summary
Described are methods, systems, devices for facilitation of intraluminal medical procedures within the neurovasculature. A catheter advancement device includes a flexible elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a single lumen extending therebetween. The flexible elongate body has a proximal segment, an intermediate segment, and a tip segment. The proximal segment includes a hypotube coated with a polymer. The intermediate segment includes an unreinforced polymer having a durometer of no more than 72D. The tip segment is formed of a polymer different from the intermediate segment and has a durometer of no more than about 35D and a length of at least 5 cm. The tip segment has a tapered portion that tapers distally from a first outer diameter to a second outer diameter over a length of between 1 and 3 cm.