Radiopaque Markers on Thrombectomy Device Struts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for removing thrombi from blood vessels lack effective markers for precise location and orientation within the vessel, which can lead to incomplete or unsafe thrombectomy procedures due to difficulties in visualizing the device's position and expansion within the vasculature.
Innovation Solution
A thrombectomy device equipped with radiopaque markers made of materials like platinum, iridium, or gold, attached to a self-expanding framework that allows for fluoroscopic visualization, enabling accurate positioning and expansion within the vessel to capture and remove thrombi while minimizing risk to the vessel walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If radiopaque markers are attached to the thrombectomy device, then visibility and measurement precision are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thrombectomy device is segmented into multiple struts that can be independently positioned and oriented. Each strut can carry markers, allowing the device to provide positioning information at multiple locations simultaneously. This segmentation enables precise spatial localization of the device within the vessel without requiring a completely different device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs radiopaque markers that appear as distinct visual signals under fluoroscopic imaging. These markers create high-contrast visual features that enable precise determination of device location and orientation. The markers effectively 'change' the visual properties of the device from invisible to highly visible under imaging modalities.
2Loss of information
If multiple markers are positioned on the device framework, then location determination is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device framework is designed with dynamic adjustability, allowing struts to be repositioned and reoriented after initial assembly. This dynamic capability enables post-manufacturing adjustment of marker positions to achieve precise geometric configurations. The system can compensate for manufacturing tolerances through mechanical adjustment rather than requiring ultra-precise initial fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates self-aligning features and self-adjusting mechanisms that automatically optimize marker positioning during deployment. The framework allows struts to naturally settle into correct orientations based on mechanical constraints and forces, reducing the need for high-precision manual positioning during manufacturing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the device framework is made expandable, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thrombectomy device employs a nested structure where struts are arranged in concentric or overlapping configurations that allow compact storage during delivery and automatic expansion at the target site. The markers are integrated into this nested framework, maintaining their relative positions during both compressed and expanded states. This nesting principle provides expansion capability without requiring complex mechanical actuation systems.
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 use of radiopaque markers enhances the visibility of the thrombectomy device under imaging technologies, allowing for precise placement and expansion, facilitating successful thrombus removal and reducing the risk of vessel damage during the procedure.
Implementation Method 1
radiopaque markers made of materials like platinum, iridium, or gold, attached to a self-expanding framework that allows for fluoroscopic visualization
Data Source
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AI summary
A medical device (100) comprising an elongate manipulation member; a thrombectomy device (102) connected to the elongate manipulation member, the thrombectomy device (102) having a first configuration and a second configuration, the thrombectomy device (102) being expandable from the first configuration to the second configuration, the thrombectomy device (102) comprising a plurality of arcuate marker-mounting projections (148) each attached to a portion of the thrombectomy device (102) configured to contact a thrombus, wherein at least some of the marker-mounting projections (148) are laterally aligned in the absence of external forces on the thrombectomy device (102), and wherein at least some of the laterally aligned marker-mounting projections (148) are arranged such that they are disposed laterally farther from each other when the thrombectomy device (102) is in the second configuration than they are when the thrombectomy device (102) is in the first configuration; and a plurality of markers (150), each of the markers (150) being attached to a respective one of the marker-mounting projections (148), wherein each of the marker-mounting projections (148) comprises a concave surface (160) and a convex surface (162) opposite the concave surface (160), and wherein each of the markers (150) contact a corresponding one of the marker-mounting projections (148) at (i) one location on the convex surface (162), and (ii) two locations on the concave surface (160).