Splined Aspiration Catheter Aid for Branch Vessel Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing catheters face challenges in navigating through complex vascular anatomies due to inefficiencies in navigability, particularly when attempting to avoid entering undesired branch vessels like the ophthalmic artery during neurovascular interventions.
Innovation Solution
A catheter design featuring a flared distal end with resilient fins that can expand radially, allowing the core to move axially, enhancing navigability by preventing entry into unwanted vessels and facilitating easier navigation through bends and branches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a catheter uses a standard cylindrical shape, then it maintains simple structure and ease of manufacture, but it lacks enhanced navigability and cannot effectively steer around vascular bends and branches
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter incorporates a movable core that can be advanced or retracted within the catheter body, dynamically changing the catheter's configuration. When the core is advanced, it causes the distal end to flare outward, creating a larger profile that engages with vessel walls to prevent entry into branch vessels. When retracted, the catheter returns to a smaller profile for easier navigation. This dynamic transformation allows the catheter to adapt its shape during the procedure to optimize both navigation and steering capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter is divided into distinct functional segments: a proximal section with standard cylindrical shape for navigation, a distal flared section for steering and branch protection, and an intermediate transition zone. The flared distal end is further segmented into multiple radial lobes or fins that can independently engage with the vessel wall, allowing localized interaction with the vasculature while maintaining overall catheter integrity.
2Reliability
If a catheter has a flared distal end with movable core, then it improves steering capability and prevents entry into branch vessels, but it increases device complexity and manufacturing difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs flexible materials for the catheter body and core, allowing the structure to be formed through shaping and molding processes rather than complex assembly. The flared distal end is created as an integrated flexible structure that can be molded in the desired configuration, eliminating the need for separate components or complex joining operations. This approach maintains manufacturing feasibility while achieving the complex geometry required for reliable branch vessel avoidance.
3Ease of operation
If the core is advanced to the second position with fins extending beyond the catheter, then it enhances steering control and navigability, but it increases the effective outer diameter and may cause engagement with vessel walls
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter system dynamically adjusts its effective outer diameter by advancing or retracting the core. When superior steering control is needed, the core is advanced to extend the fins beyond the catheter, increasing the effective diameter for enhanced wall engagement. When navigation through tight spaces is required, the core is retracted to minimize the profile. This dynamic size adjustment allows the catheter to optimize between steering control and navigability based on real-time procedural needs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The enhanced navigability of the catheter design improves its ability to steer around vascular bends and branches, reducing the risk of entering incorrect pathways and improving the efficiency of procedures like mechanical thrombectomy.
Implementation Method 1
Each fin is resilient and project radially outwardly from the outer surface of the core
Implementation Method 2
The distal end of the catheter is flared radially outwardly to a second outer diameter. The second outer diameter is greater than the first outer diameter.
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter comprises a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen. The catheter has a first outer diameter. The distal end of the catheter is flared radially outwardly to a second outer diameter. An elongated core is disposed within the lumen of the catheter. A plurality of fins are connected to the core. Each fin is resilient and projects radially outwardly from the outer surface of the core and terminates in a radially outwardly directed free end. The core is axially movable with respect to the catheter between a first position where the plurality of fins are completely located within the first outer diameter portion of the catheter and a second position where some of the plurality of fins are located within the second outer diameter portion of the catheter and some of the plurality of fins are located distally beyond the distal end of the catheter.