Tethered Basket Emboli Capture System for Stroke Recanalization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current embolic capture devices for treating ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke are limited in their ability to effectively and safely remove emboli from the vasculature, particularly in small intracranial vessels, due to stiffness, difficulty in deployment, and risk of hemorrhagic complications associated with existing stent technologies.

Innovation Solution

A tethered basket-like system integrated with a microcatheter for arterial support and emboli capture, allowing for flexible deployment and retrieval, with a mesh capturer that can be expanded to contain emboli and filter potential distal migration of particles, ensuring minimal vascular damage and improved recanalization rates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If existing stent technologies are used for emboli removal, then recanalization can be achieved, but the risk of hemorrhagic complications increases and the devices are difficult to deploy in small intracranial vessels

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecanalization success rateVSAvoidhemorrhagic complications
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into two functional components: a microcatheter for delivery and a collapsible basket for emboli capture. This segmentation allows the device to navigate small vessels via the microcatheter while the basket remains compact during delivery, then expand to capture emboli, thereby achieving recanalization with reduced hemorrhagic risk compared to rigid stents

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The basket is designed with flexible, collapsible structure that can be compressed within the microcatheter for delivery through small intracranial vessels, then expanded at the target site to capture emboli. This flexibility reduces deployment difficulty and allows access to vessels where rigid stents cannot be safely placed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Reliability

If rigid stent structures are used for emboli capture, then emboli can be contained, but the difficulty of deployment in small vessels increases and vascular damage risk rises

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveemboli containment capabilityVSAvoiddeployment difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The basket transitions from a compressed static state during delivery to an expanded dynamic state at the target site. This dynamic transformation allows the device to navigate small vessels in a compact form, then expand to provide effective emboli containment, resolving the contradiction between containment capability and deployment ease

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The collapsible basket is nested within the microcatheter during delivery, allowing the larger emboli capture structure to pass through small vessels via the smaller catheter. Once deployed, the basket expands outward from the microcatheter to provide effective emboli containment without requiring direct manipulation in the small vessel

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Reliability

If multiple passes with clot retriever are required, then recanalization can be achieved, but the procedure time increases and hemorrhagic transformation risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecanalization achievementVSAvoidprocedure time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The device is pre-loaded with the collapsible basket within the microcatheter, ready for immediate deployment upon reaching the embolus. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for multiple passes and device exchanges, achieving recanalization in a single procedure while reducing procedure time and hemorrhagic transformation risk

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2234548B1Improved devices and methods for embolus removal during acute ischemic stroke
Publication Date: 2016.05.04 COVIDIEN LP
  • EP2234548B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2234548B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2234548B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Devices, methods, and systems facilitate and enable treatment of ischemic stroke. More specifically, a tethered basket-like system operates in conjunction with a microcatheter system, to provide arterial support and capture emboli.