Spiral Belt Guide Wire With Interlocking Engagement Portions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing guide wires with coils in the distal portion face issues of damage such as breakage and separation when trapped in lesion areas or between stents and vascular walls, while those with pipes are less flexible.

Innovation Solution

A guide wire design featuring a tubular body formed by a spiral belt-shaped member with engagement portions that interlock, covering the distal portion of a core member, providing enhanced flexibility and fracture resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a coil is located in the distal portion of the guide wire to improve flexibility, then flexibility is improved, but the coil may suffer damage such as breakage and separation when strongly pulled

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveflexibilityVSAvoiddamage resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The belt-shaped member is divided into multiple side portions (first side portion and second side portion) that are shaped to engage with each other through engagement portions. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain flexibility through the layered, interlocking design while distributing mechanical stress across multiple engagement points, preventing single-point failure and coil breakage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the flexibility-providing spiral structure with the strength-providing engagement portions into a single integrated tubular body. The belt-shaped member is wound in a spiral shape to form the tubular body, and engagement portions are incorporated into this same structure, merging the flexible coil function with the protective interlocking function into one unified component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If a pipe is used instead of a coil in the distal portion to prevent damage, then damage resistance is improved, but flexibility is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamage resistanceVSAvoidflexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a belt-shaped member wound in a spiral shape to form a tubular body that covers the distal portion of the core member. This spiral-wound tubular structure provides flexibility similar to a coil while maintaining the continuous, damage-resistant characteristics of a pipe-like structure, effectively combining the advantages of both approaches.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Ease of operation

If a tubular body formed by a spiral belt-shaped member with engagement portions is used, then both flexibility and fracture resistance are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tubular body formed by the spiral belt-shaped member with engagement portions serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides flexibility through the spiral winding, offers fracture resistance through the interlocking engagement portions, and acts as a protective covering for the distal portion of the core member. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3530310B1Guide wire
Publication Date: 2024.04.17 TERUMO KK
  • EP3530310B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3530310B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3530310B1 patent drawingFigure 3(A)~3(C)

AI summary

[Problem] There is provided a guide wire which is flexible in a distal portion and which can prevent occurrence of damage such as breakage and separation of a coil in the distal portion. [Means for Resolution] A guide wire 100 has an elongated core member 110 and a tubular body 120 located so as to cover a periphery of a distal portion 111 of the core member. The tubular body is formed using a belt-shaped member 130 wound in a spiral shape, and has an engagement portion 133 which causes side portions 131a and 131b adjacent in a longitudinal axis direction of the core member to engage with each other in the belt-shaped member.