Tether Catch Hook Surface for Implantable Device Loading

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current tether catches for implantable medical devices are not efficient for loading these devices into delivery catheters, leading to difficulties in deployment and repositioning.

Innovation Solution

An improved tether catch design featuring a relatively rigid structure with a hook surface and a gap of no greater than the tether's thickness, allowing for easy engagement and secure loading of the device into the catheter by tensioning the tether to bring the looped portion into the hooked surface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional tether catches are used for implantable medical devices, then the device can be engaged with the delivery catheter, but the loading process becomes difficult and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of loading device into catheterVSAvoidtime required for loading process

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The tether catch structure is inverted from traditional designs where the hook faces away from the device housing. In this invention, the hook surface faces toward the housing, allowing the tether to be engaged by pushing the device forward into the catheter rather than pulling it back. This inversion simplifies the loading operation and reduces time required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The tether catch is pre-configured with the hook surface facing the housing and positioned to receive the tether before the loading operation begins. The gap between the hook ends is pre-set to be no greater than the tether thickness, ensuring that when the device is pushed forward, the tether is automatically captured without requiring additional manipulation steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the tether catch structure is made more complex to improve engagement, then secure loading is achieved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure engagement of tetherVSAvoidcomplexity of tether catch structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tether catch is segmented into two simple ends forming a gap, rather than using a complex multi-component structure. Each end of the tether catch is simple in form, but together they create an effective engagement mechanism where the gap captures the tether, providing reliable securement without complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The hook surface has a specific local quality where it faces toward the housing, different from traditional designs. This localized directional property of the hook surface creates effective tether engagement while keeping the overall structure simple. The gap dimension is locally controlled to be no greater than tether thickness for reliable capture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11207530B2Relatively compact implantable medical devices and associated methods for loading the devices into a delivery catheter

Publication Date: 2021.12.28 MEDTRONIC INC

AI summary

An implantable medical device includes an improved tether catch formed by a relatively rigid structure that has a hook surface extending between first and second ends thereof. The second end of the structure is spaced apart from another portion of the device by a gap of a size no greater than a thickness of a tether, for which the tether catch is formed to engage, when the tether is looped within a delivery catheter. The device may be loaded into the catheter by: positioning the looped portion of the tether in close proximity to the gap of the tether catch; creating tension in the positioned tether to bring the looped portion into a perimeter of the hooked surface; and then pulling the tether so that the looped portion thereof bears against the hooked surface, thereby bringing the device into engagement with a distal-most end of the delivery catheter.