Segmented Catheter Design for Tortuous Vessel Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical device delivery systems face challenges in effectively deploying stents within tortuous vessels, particularly in areas like aneurysms, where conventional methods may compromise blood flow to adjacent structures and are not adequately designed to navigate complex vascular geometries.
Innovation Solution
A medical device delivery system comprising a catheter with a proximal section of larger diameter and a distal section of smaller diameter, a support sheath, and a core member with a stent engagement portion, allowing for the advancement and deployment of stents in a way that maintains blood flow and stabilizes the device within the vessel, even in tortuous paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional delivery systems use uniform diameter catheters, then the device structure is simple, but the system cannot effectively navigate tortuous vessels and deploy stents in complex vascular geometries
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into multiple sections with different diameters: a proximal section (larger diameter) and a distal section (smaller diameter). This segmentation allows the distal portion to navigate tortuous vessels while the proximal portion maintains structural integrity and provides access for device deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the catheter are designed with different diameters to perform different functions. The distal section has a smaller diameter to navigate complex vascular geometries, while the proximal section has a larger diameter to provide structural support and facilitate device loading and deployment.
2Reliability
If stents are deployed to exclude aneurysms from circulation, then aneurysm rupture risk is reduced, but blood flow to adjacent structures may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The occluding device is designed with varying diameter sections that correspond to different functional zones: a first section with a first diameter for occluding the aneurysm, and a second section with a second diameter to maintain patency of adjacent vessels. This allows selective occlusion of the aneurysm while preserving blood flow to surrounding structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery system includes a catheter with segmented diameter sections that enable precise positioning and deployment of the occluding device. The proximal section with larger diameter provides access, while the distal section with smaller diameter allows navigation to the target site and controlled deployment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the catheter distal section has smaller diameter to navigate tortuous vessels, then navigability is improved, but the inner shoulder design becomes more complex to maintain structural integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The inner shoulder is pre-formed at the junction between proximal and distal sections during manufacturing. This preliminary structural feature provides automatic positioning and support when the occluding device is deployed, eliminating the need for additional complex positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner shoulder design merges the structural support function with the diameter transition. The shoulder at the junction of proximal and distal sections serves both to maintain structural integrity during navigation and to facilitate controlled deployment of the occluding device.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device delivery system can be used to advance a medical device to a target area within a patient's vasculature. The system can comprise a catheter, a support sheath, and a core member coupled to a medical device. The core member can be used to longitudinally advanced or retracting medical device within a lumen of the support sheath. The support sheath can be advanced within the catheter until a distal end of the support sheath contacts or abuts a reduced diameter section of the catheter lumen. Thereafter, the core member can be advanced into the catheter lumen toward the target area.