Side Port Catheter for Stable Guide Wire Delivery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional catheters face challenges in accessing and treating chronic total occlusions (CTOs) in side branches of arteries due to limited stiffness, which causes misalignment and 'whip' during guide wire insertion, and existing solutions like compliant balloons do not adequately address these issues.
Innovation Solution
The development of catheters with side ports and support balloons that allow for stable guide wire delivery through a side port, with features such as telescoping tubes and movable side ports to adjust the guide wire exit angle, enhancing stability and reducing 'whip' during insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a curved catheter is used to align the guide wire with the side branch angle, then the guide wire can be positioned at the occlusion, but the catheter will be pushed and/or rotated away from the side branch when compressive force is applied to the guide wire
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a side port that extends laterally from the catheter body, creating a new dimensional pathway for guide wire delivery. This side port is positioned at an angle to the catheter longitudinal axis, allowing the guide wire to be delivered in a direction that aligns with the side branch occlusion while the main catheter body remains stable in the main artery.
Solution Approach 2:
The side port acts as an intermediary structure that transfers the guide wire from the catheter lumen to the side branch. It provides a stable, fixed-angle exit point that eliminates the need for the catheter itself to be curved or positioned at the precise angle, thereby maintaining catheter stability while achieving accurate guide wire alignment.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the catheter is made stiffer to reduce misalignment during guide wire insertion, then alignment stability improves, but the catheter may injure the artery during advancement
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into functionally distinct segments: a compliant main body for safe arterial navigation and a rigid side port structure for stable guide wire delivery. This segmentation allows each part to have optimized mechanical properties - the main catheter remains soft to avoid artery injury, while the side port provides the necessary stiffness and angular stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The side port is constructed with locally increased stiffness and fixed geometry at the specific location where guide wire delivery occurs. This localized structural enhancement provides alignment stability precisely where needed, while the rest of the catheter maintains its compliant, artery-safe characteristics.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a compliant balloon is attached to the catheter to limit reaction forces, then catheter stability improves, but the catheter still exhibits cantilever positioning and whip caused by curvature
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the angular alignment function from the catheter body and relocates it to the side port structure. This separation removes the source of whip and cantilever positioning issues, as the side port provides a fixed, stable angle independent of catheter curvature or balloon compliance.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device and method are provided for accessing a side branch in an artery. The device includes a catheter having a sidewall, an internal lumen, and a side port formed through the sidewall. A perforating guide wire has a proximal portion within the internal lumen and a distal portion arranged to be movable out of the side port. The guide wire can be delivered through the side port to a side branch artery when the catheter is deployed to a location with the side port aligned with the side branch artery. In another embodiment, the catheter has inner and outer telescoping tubes with offset exit ports formed therein. The telescoping tubes can be used to change the degree of deflection of the perforating guide wire by changing the relative positions of the offset exit ports.