Sensor Mounting Assembly for Intravascular Guidewire
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intravascular devices face challenges in consistently and accurately placing miniature sensors on guidewires due to manual assembly variability and susceptibility to damage during manufacturing, leading to inconsistent pressure measurements and potential interference with blood flow.
Innovation Solution
A guidewire system with a sensor mounting assembly featuring an internal sensor mount and external housing, utilizing cutouts and support members for precise alignment and protection, along with flexible members and conductors for secure and reliable sensor placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If sensors are mounted by hand in a housing cutout or along a core wire, then the guidewire can be assembled with miniature sensors, but there is variability in sensor location from guidewire to guidewire due to assembler alignment ability
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor mounting assembly pre-defines the sensor location and orientation through the housing structure and cutout geometry before the actual sensor mounting process. This preliminary positioning structure ensures that when sensors are mounted by hand, they are consistently located at the same position and orientation, eliminating variability between different guidewires while maintaining manual assembly capability
Solution Approach 2:
The housing acts as an intermediary structure between the core wire and the sensor. It provides a stable mounting platform with pre-defined cutouts that guide sensor placement, serving as a mediator that translates the need for precise sensor positioning into a manufacturable assembly process without requiring direct manual alignment on the core wire
2Productivity
If sensors are placed by different workers, then production can proceed in parallel, but variability in sensor location is compounded
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor mounting assembly is designed to be self-aligning and self-positioning through its structural features (housing, cutouts, mounting surfaces). This self-service mechanism allows any worker to mount sensors consistently without requiring specialized alignment skills, enabling parallel production while maintaining uniform sensor locations across all guidewires assembled by different workers
3Object-generated harmful factors
If sensors are mounted on guidewires with smaller diameter, then blood flow interference is reduced, but sensors are more susceptible to damage during further guidewire manufacturing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure provides beforehand cushioning and protection for the sensor during manufacturing. The sensor is mounted within the housing structure that already exists before subsequent manufacturing steps, and this housing acts as a protective cushion that prevents damage to the sensor during further guidewire assembly and processing operations
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor is nested within the housing structure, which itself is mounted on the guidewire. This nested arrangement places the fragile sensor inside the protective housing, shielding it from damage during manufacturing while maintaining the small overall diameter needed to minimize blood flow interference
4Measurement precision
If ultra miniature pressure sensors are used on distal extremities of guidewire, then accurate pressure readings are obtained with minimal blood flow disruption, but the manufacturing process becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The guidewire is segmented into distinct functional modules: the core wire, the housing, and the sensor assembly. This segmentation allows the sensor to be mounted on a separate housing structure that is then attached to the guidewire, simplifying the manufacturing process by breaking down the complex task of mounting miniature sensors directly on the guidewire into more manageable assembly steps
Data Source
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AI summary
Intravascular devices, systems, and methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, a guidewire system for treating a patient includes an internal sensor mount having a body and a first cutout extending through a wall of the body; a core wire secured to the internal sensor mount; a sensor assembly for detecting a physiological characteristic of a patient secured to the internal sensor mount; an external housing disposed about the internal sensor mount and including an opening in communication with the cutout of the internal sensor mount; a proximal flexible member secured to at least one of the internal sensor mount and the external housing; a first distal flexible member secured to at least one of the internal sensor mount and the external housing; and at least one conductor electrically coupled to the sensor assembly and extending proximally beyond the internal sensor mount through the proximal flexible member.