Steerable Endoluminal Punch with Articulating Distal Tip
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Brockenbrough needle system is pre-curved and rigid, causing material to be carved from the guiding catheter, potentially leading to emboli and damage to cardiovascular structures during insertion, and lacks adjustability for optimal curvature within the vasculature.
Innovation Solution
A steerable needle design with a straight configuration that becomes curved under user control, featuring concentrically arranged inner and outer tubes with controlled articulation, allowing for adjustable curvature and reduced risk of emboli and tissue damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the Brockenbrough needle is pre-curved and rigid to maintain structural integrity and punching capability, then the needle can effectively penetrate cardiac tissue, but the needle carves material from the guiding catheter causing emboli and potentially damages cardiovascular structures during advancement
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is divided into multiple segments: a rigid proximal portion for structural integrity and punching, and a flexible distal portion for safe navigation. This segmentation allows each part to perform its optimal function without causing harm to the guiding catheter or cardiovascular structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle transitions from a static pre-curved rigid structure to a dynamic configuration where the distal portion can flex and adapt. This dynamic flexibility allows the needle to navigate the guiding catheter without carving material, while the proximal rigid portion maintains punching capability.
2Ease of operation
If the Brockenbrough needle is pre-curved to facilitate positioning in the Fossa Ovalis, then the needle can be directed to the target site, but the pre-curving causes difficulty in advancing through the cardiovascular system and potential damage to vessel walls
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the needle have different mechanical properties: the distal portion is flexible to conform to vessel walls and avoid damage, while the proximal portion is rigid to provide structural support and punching force. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between positioning ease and safety.
3Manufacturing precision
If the Brockenbrough needle is rigid to maintain sharp tip integrity for tissue penetration, then the needle can effectively punch cardiac tissue, but the rigidity causes the needle to carve material from the guiding catheter during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is segmented into a flexible distal portion for safe catheter navigation and a rigid proximal portion with a sharp tip for effective tissue penetration. This segmentation allows the sharp tip to maintain its integrity without causing catheter material carving during insertion.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the needle is initially straight to enable easy insertion through the guiding catheter, then the needle can be advanced without carving catheter material, but the needle lacks adjustability for optimal curvature within the vasculature
Solution Approach 1:
The needle incorporates a flexible distal portion that can dynamically change its curvature in response to user manipulation or anatomical constraints, allowing it to adapt to optimal positioning within the vasculature while maintaining a straight configuration during catheter insertion to prevent debris release.
Data Source
AI summary
A transseptal needle or punch wherein the distal end of the transseptal needle is able to articulate laterally out of the longitudinal axis of the steerable transseptal needle. The transseptal needle further comprise a blunted distal end configuration that is minimally traumatic. Under control by the user or a computer, at the proximal end of the transseptal needle can be articulated to generate various curves with high bending force. The transseptal needle is configured for use within a transseptal introducer.