Vacuum Thrombectomy Flow Control for Clot Removal With Less Blood Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thrombectomy procedures face challenges in efficiently removing occlusive materials like clots and thrombi while minimizing blood loss and avoiding damage to blood vessels, with current methods often leading to excessive blood loss and potential vessel damage.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum aspiration system with real-time flow monitoring and control, using sensors and controllers to adjust aspiration modes based on flow state, automatically restricting or pulsing aspiration to minimize blood loss and enhance clot removal efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If continuous vacuum aspiration is applied to remove occlusive material, then clot removal efficiency is improved, but blood loss increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic cycling between full vacuum aspiration and restricted flow modes. The controller periodically switches aspiration states based on real-time flow monitoring, creating a pulsed aspiration pattern that maintains clot removal efficiency while allowing blood to exit during restricted phases, thereby reducing overall blood loss
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts aspiration flow restrictions in real-time based on monitored flow conditions. The controller modulates the aspiration valve opening degree continuously or in steps, transitioning between unrestricted full vacuum mode (for clot removal) and restricted flow mode (for blood conservation), optimizing the balance between productivity and blood loss prevention
2Loss of substance
If flow restriction is applied to minimize blood loss, then blood loss is reduced, but clot removal efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous clot removal action by alternating between full vacuum aspiration and restricted flow modes. During restricted flow phases, blood is allowed to exit while the catheter remains positioned in the clot, ensuring that when full vacuum resumes, clot removal can continue without interruption, maintaining overall productivity while reducing blood loss
Solution Approach 2:
The controller implements periodic switching between aspiration modes, creating cycles of full vacuum (clot removal) and restricted flow (blood conservation). This rhythmic alternation ensures that clot removal action is maintained over time while providing periodic relief that allows blood to exit, preventing the productivity loss that would occur with sustained restriction
3Productivity
If high vacuum pressure is applied to enhance clot ingestion, then clot removal efficiency is improved, but risk of vessel damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically modulates vacuum pressure levels in real-time based on flow monitoring feedback. The controller adjusts the aspiration valve to vary the degree of flow restriction, thereby controlling the effective vacuum pressure applied to the clot. This dynamic pressure control allows high vacuum for clot ingestion while limiting sustained exposure that could cause vessel damage
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies high vacuum pressure periodically during full aspiration phases to enhance clot ingestion, then alternates with restricted flow phases that allow pressure relief. This periodic high-pressure application achieves effective clot removal while providing regular intervals of reduced pressure that minimize cumulative vessel damage risk
4Ease of operation
If manual monitoring and control is used during thrombectomy, then procedure flexibility is maintained, but blood loss cannot be minimized automatically
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates real-time flow monitoring that continuously measures flow characteristics during thrombectomy. The controller receives this feedback and automatically adjusts aspiration flow restriction levels based on the monitored data, enabling automatic blood loss minimization while preserving operator flexibility through the ability to override or adjust parameters as needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs automatic blood loss minimization through its own monitoring and control capabilities. The controller autonomously modulates aspiration flow restriction based on real-time flow measurements, eliminating the need for constant manual intervention to optimize blood conservation while maintaining procedure flexibility through programmable parameters and override options
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 system effectively reduces blood loss and enhances clot removal by dynamically adjusting aspiration based on flow conditions, ensuring more complete extraction of occlusive material without damaging blood vessels.
Implementation Method 1
a flow sensor configured to detect flow rate through the connection tubing and determine whether the flow rate indicates unrestricted flow, restricted flow, or a clog
Implementation Method 2
a vacuum source configured to provide negative pressure to the connection tubing
Implementation Method 3
a controllable valve configured to regulate fluid flow between the catheter and the vacuum source, wherein the controller is configured to close the controllable valve when the determined flow state indicates unrestricted flow
Data Source
AI summary
A platform of computing systems is configured to receive thrombectomy procedure data that is associated with a user of an aspiration thrombectomy system. The procedure data includes sets of temporal datapoints associated with a thrombectomy procedure. The platform of computing systems is further configured to generate thrombectomy analytics data based on baseline procedure data and the sets of datapoints. The platform of computing systems is further configured to visually display the thrombectomy analytics data, and to provide comparative data metrics for selection on an interactive interface.