Minimally Invasive Tissue Removal Tool With Loop Aperture

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for treating atherosclerosis, such as stenting and angioplasty, are invasive and often lead to complications like restenosis and embolization due to the presence of plaque material, which remains in the artery and can cause further vascular issues.

Innovation Solution

A medical device with a sheath and tool configured to transition from a crimped to a deployed state, featuring tube and wire loops that form an aperture to dissect and remove tissue, allowing for minimally invasive cutting and removal of plaque from arterial walls.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If percutaneous procedures like stenting and angioplasty are used to treat atherosclerosis, then the procedure is less invasive compared to surgery, but the plaque material remains in the artery causing restenosis and embolization complications

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinvasiveness of procedureVSAvoidrisk of restenosis and embolization
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The device extracts and removes the atherosclerotic plaque material from the artery through percutaneous access. The loops capture the plaque and the cutting element severs it, allowing the plaque to be extracted from the body without surgery, thus eliminating the source of embolization while maintaining minimally invasive benefits

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The device discards the diseased plaque material by cutting it away from the arterial wall and removing it from the body through the percutaneous access site. This discarding of the harmful plaque material prevents both restenosis and embolization while keeping the procedure minimally invasive

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Reliability

If surgical endarterectomy is performed to remove plaque, then complete removal of plaque is achieved reducing restenosis risk, but the procedure becomes highly invasive requiring anesthesia and causing pain and stress

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomplete plaque removalVSAvoidinvasiveness and patient comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The device segments the plaque removal process into distinct functional components: loops for capture, cutting element for severance, and extraction mechanism for removal. This segmentation allows each function to be optimized independently while maintaining overall minimally invasive approach, achieving complete plaque removal without surgical invasiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The device acts as an intermediary between the percutaneous access point and the deep arterial plaque. It provides a mechanical bridge that allows force and motion to be transmitted from the accessible external point to the inaccessible internal plaque, enabling complete removal without surgical exposure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Speed

If stents are placed to keep arterial lumen patent, then immediate blood flow is restored, but plaque material can squeeze through stent cells causing post-stenting strokes and restenosis

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverestoration of blood flowVSAvoidplaque embolization and restenosis
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The device performs preliminary action by completely removing the plaque material before any stent placement would be considered. By eliminating the plaque source in advance, the harmful effects of plaque squeezing through stent cells are prevented, and subsequent stenting becomes unnecessary or less problematic

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3603544B1Devices for minimally invasive tissue removal
Publication Date: 2023.05.10 ANGIOWORKS MEDICAL
  • EP3603544B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3603544B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3603544B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B

AI summary

A medical device for minimally invasive removal of tissue from a body lumen, can include: a sheath (12) having a proximal and a distal end; and a tool (10) configured to pass through the sheath and configured to transition from a crimped state to a deployed state and to a closed state, wherein the tool forms an aperture at a distal end, the distal end of the tool having at least one tube loop (18) and at least one wire loop (28), wherein the tool is configured to dissect tissue in the deployed state.