Segmented Catheter Rigidity Gradient for Esophageal Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing catheters for temperature measurement in the esophagus during medical procedures, such as arrhythmia ablation, can be cumbersome and may cause damage to the esophagus due to inadequate temperature monitoring, particularly during surgical ablation of the left atrium.
Innovation Solution
A catheter design featuring a tip-flexible part with integrated temperature sensors and a base end part with varying rigidity, allowing for deflection and improved insertion through the nasal cavity while minimizing the risk of esophageal damage, by incorporating a first base end section with higher rigidity and a second base end section with lower rigidity, which decreases linearly, facilitating easier navigation and reducing patient burden.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the catheter uses a uniform rigid structure, then it provides structural stability, but it causes damage to the esophagus and increases patient burden during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter shaft is divided into multiple sections with different rigidity values. The first shaft portion has a first rigidity value, while the second shaft portion has a second rigidity value that is lower than the first. This local differentiation allows the proximal section to provide structural stability while the distal section flexes to accommodate the esophageal curvature, reducing tissue damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter shaft is segmented into multiple distinct portions along its longitudinal axis, each with independently controlled rigidity characteristics. This segmentation enables the proximal portion to maintain structural integrity during manipulation while the distal portion adapts to the soft tissue environment, resolving the contradiction between stability and tissue protection.
2Ease of operation
If the catheter shaft is made entirely flexible, then it reduces patient burden and facilitates insertion, but it loses structural stability and maneuverability
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the catheter shaft are assigned different rigidity values to optimize local functions. The proximal section maintains higher rigidity for structural stability and maneuverability during insertion, while the distal section uses lower rigidity to reduce patient burden and facilitate navigation through the esophagus.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter shaft exhibits dynamic rigidity characteristics that vary along its length, allowing it to be rigid where needed for control and flexible where needed for patient comfort. This dynamic property distribution enables the catheter to maintain stability during manipulation while being gentle during insertion.
3Ease of manufacture
If the catheter uses a single rigidity value throughout, then it simplifies manufacturing, but it cannot simultaneously achieve structural stability and reduce patient burden
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs local quality differentiation by assigning different rigidity values to different shaft portions. This can be achieved through varying wall thickness, material composition, or structural geometry in specific sections, allowing the device to meet both manufacturing feasibility and performance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter shaft may utilize composite material construction or composite structural design where different materials or structural configurations are combined along the shaft length. This enables precise control of rigidity distribution while maintaining manufacturing practicality through standardized manufacturing techniques for multi-layer or multi-section structures.
4Measurement precision
If the catheter shaft is made longer to reach the esophagus, then it improves measurement capability, but it increases the risk of esophageal damage
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature sensor is positioned in the distal portion of the catheter where the rigidity is lower, allowing the sensor to gently contact the esophageal wall for accurate temperature measurement while the flexible distal section minimizes mechanical stress and damage risk to the tissue.
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 measures internal esophageal temperatures, reduces the risk of esophageal damage during ablation procedures, and enhances user convenience by allowing smooth insertion and precise temperature monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
one or a plurality of temperature sensors provided in the tip-flexible part
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a catheter that includes a catheter tube and a temperature sensor. The catheter tube includes a tip-flexible part and a base end part. The base end part includes a first base end section having rigidity higher than the tip-flexible part, and a second base end section having rigidity lower than the first base end section. The tip-flexible part has an axial length from 40 mm to 100 mm, the first base end section has an axial length from 200 mm to 400 mm, and the second base end section has an axial length from 200 mm to 900 mm. A value of the rigidity of each of the first and the second base end sections decreases linearly from the first base end section to the second base end section, in a region around a boundary between the first base end section and the second base end section.