Guiding Catheter With Telescopic Inner Shaft for Remote Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guiding catheters require two separate instruments (guiding catheter and guide extension) for reaching remote vascular sites, increasing complexity and risk of damage to working catheters, and incurring high manufacturing costs due to misaligned diameters.
Innovation Solution
A single guiding catheter with an inner shaft that can be moved within an outer shaft, featuring a slit and ports for access to additional lumen, allowing extension of the catheter's effective length without additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If two separate catheters (guiding catheter and guide extension) are used to reach remote vascular sites, then the effective length is increased, but the device complexity and risk of damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide extension is nested within the guiding catheter as a telescopic inner shaft that can extend and retract. When extended, it provides the additional length needed to reach remote vascular sites. When retracted, it consolidates into a single catheter structure, simplifying handling and reducing the risk of damage at connection sites.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter system transitions from a static two-catheter configuration to a dynamic telescopic structure where the inner shaft can be extended or retracted as needed. This dynamic adjustment allows the operator to have both the simplicity of a single catheter and the length of an extended system when required.
2Length of moving object
If two separate catheters are used, then the length is sufficient for remote sites, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to handling multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding catheter and guide extension are merged into a single integrated device with a telescopic inner shaft. This consolidation eliminates the need to handle two separate catheters and their connections, significantly simplifying the manipulation procedure while maintaining the ability to achieve sufficient length when needed.
3Length of moving object
If two separate catheters with mismatched diameters are used, then the length requirement is met, but the reliability decreases due to potential damage at connection sites
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic inner shaft is designed with precise diameter matching to the outer guiding catheter, eliminating the diameter mismatch problem that occurs with separate catheters. This precise nesting ensures smooth transitions and eliminates connection sites where damage could occur, thereby improving reliability.
4Length of moving object
If two separate catheters are manufactured, then the length requirement is satisfied, but the manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the guiding catheter and guide extension into a single manufactured unit with a telescopic inner shaft, the invention eliminates the need to manufacture, package, and inventory two separate catheter products. This consolidation reduces manufacturing complexity and associated costs while providing the same functional capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A guiding catheter includes an outer shaft defining a first guiding lumen in an interior of the outer shaft. An inner shaft is movably arranged at least partially in the first guiding lumen. The inner shaft defines a second guiding lumen in an interior of the inner shaft. A dividing device is arranged at a proximal end region of the guiding catheter. The dividing device includes a first port, and a second port angularly arranged with respect to each other. Both the first port and the second port provide access to the first guiding lumen. The inner shaft extends through the second port into the first guiding lumen. The inner shaft includes at least a section-wise slit along a longitudinal extension direction (F) of the inner shaft. The slit provides access to the second guiding lumen and enables a working catheter to enter the second guiding lumen from the first guiding lumen. The inner shaft has a length exceeding a length of the outer shaft.