Shape-Controllable Catheters with Variable Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrasound catheter systems, particularly those for trans-esophageal echocardiology, are thick and bulky, causing user discomfort and limited versatility, making it difficult to achieve effective imaging and restricting access to areas like the nasal cavity.
Innovation Solution
Shape-controllable catheters with control wires and varying stiffness along their length, allowing for humped or cantilevered configurations, enabling intimate contact with body walls and reducing diameter for minimized patient discomfort and increased versatility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the catheter is made thick and bulky to maintain contact with the esophageal wall for effective imaging, then imaging effectiveness is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter incorporates varying stiffness along its length, with the distal portion being more compliant to conform to the esophageal wall contour while the proximal portion maintains sufficient rigidity for structural support and array planarity. This local differentiation allows effective imaging contact without requiring overall catheter bulk, thereby improving patient comfort.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the catheter diameter is reduced to minimize patient discomfort, then patient comfort is improved, but contact quality with the esophageal wall deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs a dynamic stiffness distribution where the distal portion is designed to be more compliant, allowing it to dynamically adapt and conform to the irregular contour of the esophageal wall. This enables a smaller diameter catheter to achieve adequate contact quality without compromising patient comfort.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the catheter is made thick to maintain array planarity, then array planarity is improved, but catheter versatility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter structure implements localized stiffness differentiation where the proximal portion maintains sufficient rigidity to ensure array planarity, while the distal portion is designed with higher compliance for versatility in navigating different anatomical pathways. This allows the catheter to be thinner and more versatile while preserving imaging array stability.
4Adaptability or versatility
If control wires are added to enable shape control, then shape controllability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter incorporates discrete control wires that can be independently manipulated to control different segments of the catheter shape. This segmentation approach provides precise shape control capability while maintaining relatively simple individual wire structures, avoiding the need for complex integrated control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Shape-controllable catheters are provided that are versatile in application and that, in human-imaging applications, minimize or reduce patient discomfort. One such catheter is provided with at least one control wire that extends inside the catheter and a control mechanism for tensioning the control wire to produce in the catheter a humped shape or a cantilevered configuration. Hardness of the catheter may be varied along the length thereof to facilitate desired bending. For example, hardness may be reduced in bend areas. Hardness may be maintained or increased in other areas for performance reasons, for example to maintain planarity of an imaging array.