Spiral Dilator Structure for Flexibility and Expansion Diameter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices face challenges in achieving both flexibility for navigating body bends and a sufficient expansion diameter due to material limitations, whether using hard materials for rigidity or flexible materials for flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A medical device with a core shaft featuring a tapered portion and straight portion, combined with spirally arranged protruding portions of differing rigidity, where the first protruding portion is made of a resin material and the second of a metal material, allowing for both flexibility and sufficient expansion diameter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the core shaft and protruding portion are formed of a hard material (e.g., stainless steel), then a sufficient expansion diameter can be obtained, but the flexibility is reduced making it difficult to pass bending portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the material properties of different components. The core shaft is made of flexible material (resin or flexible metal) to enable navigation through bending portions, while the protruding portion is made of hard material (metal) to provide sufficient expansion diameter. This localized material differentiation allows each component to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining flexible material (resin or flexible metal) for the core shaft with hard material (metal) for the protruding portion. This composite construction enables the device to simultaneously achieve flexibility for navigation and rigidity for effective hole expansion, resolving the contradiction between these two opposing requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the core shaft and protruding portion are formed of a flexible material (e.g., resin), then flexibility is improved, but a sufficient expansion diameter is hard to be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the material properties of different components. The core shaft is made of flexible material (resin or flexible metal) to enable navigation through bending portions, while the protruding portion is made of hard material (metal) to provide sufficient expansion diameter. This localized material differentiation allows each component to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining flexible material (resin or flexible metal) for the core shaft with hard material (metal) for the protruding portion. This composite construction enables the device to simultaneously achieve flexibility for navigation and rigidity for effective hole expansion, resolving the contradiction between these two opposing requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A dilator is provided that achieves both flexibility and ease of obtaining a sufficient expansion diameter. A dilator 1 includes: a core shaft 21 including a tapered portion 23 having a diameter decreasing from a proximal end toward a distal end, and a straight portion 22, 24 adjacent to the tapered portion 23, extending along a long axis direction, and having a constant outer diameter; and a protruding portion 31 provided on an outer peripheral surface of the tapered portion 23 and the straight portion 22, 24 and spirally extending with a gap between portions adjacent to each other along the long axis direction. The protruding portion 31 includes a first protruding portion 32 located on the tapered portion 23 and a second protruding portion 33, 34 located on the straight portion 22, 24, and rigidity of the first protruding portion 32 is lower than rigidity of the second protruding portion 33, 34.