Self-centering Catheter with Inflatable Coils for Blood Flow Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current patient temperature control systems for managing severe brain trauma, ischemia, or post-surgical conditions face challenges in effectively cooling or warming patients without obstructing blood flow, especially in the venous system, and in preventing hyperthermia.
Innovation Solution
A catheter design featuring working fluid supply and return lumens with axially spaced coils and an expandable wire to center heat exchange regions, allowing for serial fluid flow and blood circulation without blocking blood vessels, and optionally including a straight tube for fluid communication, facilitating efficient temperature management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a catheter is placed in the venous system for body temperature control, then temperature regulation capability is improved, but blood flow obstruction occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into multiple segments including inflatable balloons positioned at strategic locations. These segmented balloon structures allow blood to flow through and around them while still providing sufficient surface area for heat exchange, thus preventing complete blood flow obstruction while achieving temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter design incorporates three-dimensional balloon structures that expand radially to contact the vessel wall while maintaining axial blood flow pathways. This dimensional approach creates heat exchange surfaces in the radial direction without blocking the axial blood flow, resolving the contradiction between temperature control effectiveness and blood flow maintenance.
2Temperature
If heat exchange balloons are inflated to contact vessel wall, then heat exchange efficiency is improved, but blood flow blockage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs multiple smaller balloons distributed along its length rather than one large balloon. Each balloon contacts the vessel wall at a localized region, providing distributed heat exchange surfaces that maintain overall blood flow through the vessel. This local quality approach ensures adequate heat exchange without creating complete blockage.
Solution Approach 2:
The balloons are inflated to a degree that provides sufficient heat exchange surface area contact with the vessel wall, but not to the point of complete occlusion. This partial action allows blood to flow through and around the balloons while still achieving effective temperature control through the inflated portions.
3Measurement precision
If catheter structure is made complex with multiple components, then temperature control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter integrates multiple functions into a single device structure, including temperature sensing, heating, cooling, and blood flow management capabilities within one integrated catheter system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate devices while maintaining precise temperature control through coordinated operation of various components.
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
Enables precise temperature regulation within the patient without impeding blood flow, effectively inducing hypothermia or rewarming, and preventing hyperthermia by using a closed-loop system with a working fluid like saline, improving medical outcomes for conditions such as stroke, cardiac arrest, and post-surgical patients.
Implementation Method 1
Working fluid circulates through the supply and return lumens to exchange heat with a patient in whom the catheter is positioned
Implementation Method 2
at least a first coil is a large coil that inflates with working fluid to seat against a wall of a blood vessel
Data Source
AI summary
A patient temperature control catheter (10) includes working fluid supply (16) and return (18) lumens through which working fluid circulates to exchange heat with a patient in whom the catheter is positioned. At least one lumen is defined by plural coils (32) axially spaced from each other. At least a first coil is a large coil that inflates with working fluid to seat against a wall of a blood vessel in which the catheter is positioned, with blood flowing through the coil so as not to block blood flow in the vessel. Alternate centering structures (116) are disclosed.