Single-Lumen Balloon Guide Catheter for Fast Air Evacuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional balloon guide catheters have reduced lumen size and lengthy preparation times due to air removal difficulties, hindering their adoption in medical procedures like stroke treatment, and pose risks of balloon rupture if air is not fully evacuated.
Innovation Solution
A single lumen balloon catheter design with a sealing portion on the inner surface, allowing for a larger lumen size and quick air removal, featuring a distensible balloon extending through the tubular body to form a fluid-tight seal and using radiopaque markers for positioning, along with passages for efficient fluid communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If conventional dual-lumen or side-lumen balloon guide catheters are used, then balloon inflation capability is achieved, but the available lumen size is reduced for a given outer diameter
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into functional segments: a single continuous lumen for device passage and a separate balloon inflation system. The sealing portion divides the lumen into a proximal segment (for device passage) and a distal segment (for balloon inflation), allowing independent functionality without requiring multiple lumens throughout the entire catheter length.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing portion extends radially through the catheter wall from the inner surface to the outer surface, creating a three-dimensional barrier that divides the lumen space. This radial extension allows the formation of separate inflation and passage zones within the single lumen structure, effectively using the catheter wall thickness as an additional dimensional space for functional separation.
2Loss of time
If air is not removed from conventional balloon guide catheters, then preparation time is reduced, but balloon rupture risk increases and air embolization hazard exists
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing portion creates a distinct boundary that allows air to be extracted from the balloon inflation zone independently from the device passage lumen. By positioning the seal proximal to the balloon and using the single lumen configuration, air can be removed through the distal end of the catheter while the elongate member remains in place, separating the air removal function from the overall catheter structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing portion acts as an intermediary barrier that isolates the balloon inflation space from the device passage lumen. This allows independent control of fluid and air within the balloon zone, enabling safe air removal and preventing air embolization by containing any residual air within the sealed balloon compartment rather than allowing it to enter the patient's vasculature.
3Area of moving object
If conventional balloon guide catheters are used, then balloon inflation function is achieved, but the available lumen size for a given French size is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The single lumen is segmented by the sealing portion into two functional zones: a proximal zone with larger cross-sectional area optimized for elongate member passage, and a distal zone optimized for balloon inflation. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized for its specific function without compromising the other, maintaining large lumen size for device passage while enabling balloon inflation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing portion creates local differentiation within the lumen: the proximal portion maintains a large open cross-section for easy device passage, while the distal portion is configured for balloon expansion. The catheter structure transitions from a uniform single lumen to a locally differentiated structure where the seal creates distinct functional zones with different geometric properties optimized for their respective purposes.
Data Source
AI summary
A balloon catheter includes a tubular body and a balloon circumferentially around a portion of the tubular body. The tubular body includes an outer surface and an inner surface defining a lumen of the tubular body. The balloon comprises a proximal end portion and a distal end portion each being secured to the tubular body, and a distensible portion defining an interior that is in fluid communication with the lumen of the tubular body. The distal end portion of the balloon extends through the outer surface and the inner surface into the lumen of the tubular body, forming a sealing portion circumferentially around the inner surface of the tubular body. A catheter assembly including a balloon catheter and a method of use are also provided.