Self-orienting Delivery System for Intraluminal Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional delivery systems for intraluminal medical devices face challenges in accurately positioning these devices within body vessels, particularly in achieving desired orientations relative to the vessel's cross-sectional axes, which is crucial for the proper functioning of devices like prosthetic valves and drug-coated stents.
Innovation Solution
A delivery system with a rotatable head member and orienting sections, such as resilient members, that can align with the body vessel's major and minor axes, allowing for precise rotation and deployment of intraluminal medical devices during advancement through the vessel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional delivery systems are used to deploy intraluminal medical devices, then the deployment process is simple, but the orientation precision of the device relative to the vessel axes is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery system is segmented into distinct functional components: a delivery catheter for transporting the device, a rotatable head member for orientation control, and orientation members (such as resilient members or wires) for aligning with vessel axes. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, achieving precise orientation without overwhelming complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The head member is designed to be rotatable relative to the delivery catheter, enabling dynamic adjustment of the device orientation during the procedure. The orientation members can rotate about a longitudinal axis and are adapted to engage with the vessel walls, providing dynamic alignment capabilities that allow the system to adapt to the vessel's geometry and achieve precise orientation of the deployed device
2Ease of operation
If the delivery system is advanced through the body vessel, then the device can be delivered to the treatment point, but the orientation control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The orientation members are designed to self-align with the vessel axes through their mechanical interaction with the vessel walls. The resilient members or wires naturally orient themselves along the major and minor axes of the ovoid vessel cross-section, eliminating the need for complex external control mechanisms during advancement. The system uses the vessel's own geometry to guide the orientation
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex mechanical control mechanisms with a simpler passive alignment mechanism. The orientation members use elastic deformation and geometric constraints to achieve alignment, substituting active mechanical control with passive self-alignment based on the vessel's natural geometry
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 alignment and deployment of intraluminal medical devices, ensuring optimal functionality by aligning the device's functional mechanisms with the vessel's axes, thereby improving the effectiveness of treatments like valve implantation and drug delivery.
Implementation Method 1
one or more connected orientation members adapted to engage a body vessel and effect rotation of the head member
Data Source
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AI summary
Delivery systems for delivering and deploying expandable intraluminal medical devices within a body vessel are provided. A portion of the delivery system that includes the expandable intraluminal medical device orients itself about an axis based on characteristics of the body vessel, such as the relative orientation of major and minor axes of the vessel. This allows the intraluminal medical device to be deployed in the vessel in a desired orientation relative to the vessel. Embodiments can be used with any suitable intraluminal medical device, including valve devices, stents, drug-coated stents, filters, and other suitable devices. Methods of delivering and deploying intraluminal medical devices are also described.