Telescopic Balloon Catheter Puller-Wire Actuation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing balloon catheters face challenges in efficiently expanding and collapsing the balloon at the distal end, which affects maneuverability and vascular trauma during medical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A medical instrument featuring a telescopic assembly with an elastic element and a puller-wire, allowing the telescopic assembly to elongate and compress, thereby expanding and collapsing the inflatable balloon effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional balloon catheter structure is used, then the balloon can be inflated and deflated, but the catheter cannot efficiently navigate sharp turns in blood vessels and causes increased vascular trauma
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into multiple telescopic sections that can slide relative to each other, allowing the distal end to bend and navigate sharp turns while the proximal end remains stable for operator control
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter structure transitions from a rigid fixed-length design to a dynamic telescopic design where sections can extend and retract, enabling the catheter to adapt its shape and length to navigate complex vascular anatomy
2Ease of operation
If the catheter is made more flexible to navigate sharp turns, then maneuverability improves, but the catheter diameter increases
Solution Approach 1:
Telescopic sections are nested within each other, with each section containing the next smaller section, allowing the catheter to maintain a compact diameter when retracted while extending to provide flexibility when needed
3Ease of operation
If a telescopic assembly is added to improve maneuverability, then the catheter can navigate sharp turns, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic mechanism is integrated with the balloon catheter structure, combining the navigation function with the existing catheter components rather than adding completely separate systems
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 solution enables highly flexible and maneuverable balloon catheters that can navigate sharp turns in blood vessels, reduce vascular trauma, and maintain a smaller catheter diameter, enhancing procedural efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic element, coupled to self-elongate and thus elongate the telescopic assembly
Implementation Method 2
The puller-wire runs through the shaft and is connected to a distal end of the telescopic assembly, and is configured, when pulled, to compress the telescopic assembly
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~3B
Figure 4
AI summary
A medical instrument (20) includes a shaft (22), a distal-end assembly (40) and a puller-wire (52). The shaft (22) is configured for insertion into a body of a patient. The distal-end assembly, which is coupled to the shaft (22), includes a telescopic assembly (40), configured to elongate so as to collapse the distal-end assembly (40), and to compress so as to expand the distal-end assembly (40). The distal- end assembly (40) further includes an elastic element (50,51), coupled to self-elongate and thus elongate the telescopic assembly (40). The distal-end assembly (40) also includes an inflatable balloon (44), which is coupled to the telescopic assembly (40) and is configured to collapse by the telescopic assembly (40) elongating, and to expand by the telescopic assembly (40) compressing. The puller-wire (52) runs through the shaft and is connected to a distal end of the telescopic assembly (40), and is configured, when pulled, to compress the telescopic assembly (40).