Steerable Intraluminal Device with 360° Deflection Tip
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guidewires face challenges in navigating small diameter and tortuous arteries, such as cerebral arteries, due to their inability to change curvature without manual reshaping, which increases procedural complexity and risk of arterial wall perforation.
Innovation Solution
A steerable intraluminal medical device with a guidewire that features a deflectable tip capable of 360° movement, controlled by a handle mechanism that adjusts tension in the wires using a cable attachment disc and wheels, allowing for omnidirectional navigation and optional locking of the tip to maintain position within the artery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a guidewire encounters a right angle bend in an artery, then it can be advanced through the artery, but it bows outward from the bend and cannot advance further
Solution Approach 1:
The guidewire incorporates a dynamic tip section that can change curvature in real-time through rotational movement about the wire axis. This allows the tip to adapt its shape dynamically to match the geometry of tortuous arterial pathways, enabling continuous advancement through bends without bowing outward.
Solution Approach 2:
The guidewire tip can change its curvature parameter by rotating about its longitudinal axis. This parameter change allows the tip to form different curvature radii and orientations, enabling it to navigate right angle bends and tortuous arteries by matching the vessel geometry.
2Adaptability or versatility
If guidewire tip curvature is formed by removing and reshaping the guidewire by hand, then the tip can be reconfigured, but the cost and complexity of the procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guidewire is self-reconfigurable through rotational movement of its tip section about the wire axis. The operator can change the tip curvature by rotating the tip, eliminating the need to remove and manually reshape the guidewire. This self-service capability reduces procedural steps and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guidewire tip is pre-designed with the capability to rotate and change curvature. This preliminary preparation of the tip mechanism allows for quick reconfiguration during the procedure without requiring removal or external reshaping tools, reducing procedural complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the guidewire tip is highly flexible to navigate tortuous arteries, then it can enter small diameter arteries, but the risk of arterial wall perforation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guidewire has different mechanical properties at different locations: the tip section is highly flexible and capable of rotational movement to navigate tortuous pathways, while the proximal section maintains sufficient stiffness for controlled advancement. This local differentiation allows safe navigation without excessive flexibility throughout the entire wire that would cause perforation risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The guidewire tip dynamically adapts its flexibility through rotational movement, allowing it to conform to tortuous arteries only where needed at the tip, while the rest of the wire maintains structural integrity. This dynamic localization of flexibility reduces the overall risk of arterial wall perforation.
Data Source
AI summary
A steerable intraluminal medical device is described for use in navigating small diameter and curving arteries. The device includes a control handle that adjusts the direction of deflection of the tip throughout a 360° range of motion around the axis on the distal end. An optional locking mechanism is provided to maintain the desired angle of deflection during an intravascular procedure.