Thrombectomy Catheter Accessory Device with Expandable Cage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for intracorporeal use, such as catheters and guidewires, lack effective solutions for efficiently removing thrombus, especially older or more organized thrombus, and addressing large clot burdens.
Innovation Solution
The development of a thrombectomy catheter with an accessory device, including a guidewire with a bent portion and an expandable cage, which can be used in conjunction with a fluid jet emanator to enhance thrombus removal by increasing sweep coverage and facilitating clot maceration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional catheter is used for thrombus removal, then the device structure is simple, but the thrombus removal efficiency is insufficient especially for older or more organized thrombus
Solution Approach 1:
The accessory device is nested within the catheter lumen, with the guidewire positioned inside the catheter and the expandable cage positioned around the guidewire. This nested arrangement allows multiple functional components to be integrated within the catheter structure without significantly increasing the external catheter dimensions, thereby improving thrombus removal efficiency while controlling overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The accessory device transitions from a compressed delivery configuration to an expanded operational configuration. The expandable cage expands from a compressed state during delivery to an expanded state during thrombus removal, and the guidewire can be repositioned between different locations (e.g., engaged with the cage or withdrawn). This dynamic transformation enables the device to adapt its structure based on operational needs, improving functionality without permanently increasing complexity.
2Area of moving object
If the catheter uses a straight guidewire, then the device is simple to manufacture, but the sweep coverage is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The guidewire includes a bent portion that introduces curvature to the otherwise straight guidewire structure. This bend allows the distal end of the guidewire to deflect and sweep across a larger area of the vessel wall, increasing the coverage area for thrombus engagement. The curved configuration enables the guidewire to contact the vessel wall at multiple positions, thereby expanding the effective sweep coverage without requiring complete redesign of the guidewire geometry.
3Power
If the accessory device is not used, then the catheter structure is simpler, but the ability to facilitate clot maceration is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The accessory device is divided into distinct functional components: a guidewire for positioning and a separate expandable cage for maceration. The guidewire can be independently positioned within the catheter lumen, and the expandable cage can be independently deployed around the guidewire. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall system manageability, as the components can be independently controlled and positioned.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable cage acts as an intermediary element between the guidewire and the thrombus. When the cage is expanded, it positions itself to engage with and macerate the thrombus, while the guidewire provides structural support and positioning. The cage serves as a mediator that transfers mechanical force from the guidewire to the thrombus, facilitating effective maceration without requiring the guidewire to directly contact and break down the clot.
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 proposed solution effectively enhances the removal of thrombus by increasing the sweep coverage of the catheter and facilitating clot maceration, thereby improving the efficiency of thrombectomy procedures, especially for older or more organized thrombus and large clot burdens.
Implementation Method 1
A fluid jet emanator in communication with the high pressure tube, the fluid jet emanator having at least one jet orifice for directing at least one fluid jet from the fluid jet emanator through the catheter lumen
Implementation Method 2
The jet housing is positioned within a blood vessel, and fluid is injected from the nozzle towards the outlet to create a vacuum at the inlet, thereby causing fluid downstream of the outlet to flow retrograde through the vessel around the jet housing into the inlet
Implementation Method 3
the bent portion of the guidewire may be configured to deflect a portion of the catheter tube positioned distal to the bent portion
Implementation Method 4
an accessory device disposed within the catheter lumen... the accessory device may comprise a guidewire... and an expandable cage
Data Source
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AI summary
An accessory device in combination with a thrombectomy catheter comprising a lumen, a high pressure tube and a fluid jet emanator, an outflow orifice, and an entrainment inflow orifice. The accessory device comprising an elongated member having a proximal portion and a distal portion, and an expandable cage comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending struts, the expandable cage disposed adjacent to the distal portion of the elongated member such that a length of the distal portion of the elongated member extends distally beyond a distal end of the expandable cage.