Optically Transmissive Guide Wire for Shadow-Free Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional catheters with metal core guide wires create shadows in imaging procedures, leading to blind spots and difficulties in visualizing lesions within blood vessels during optical image acquisition.
Innovation Solution
A guide wire with an optically transmissive portion along its length, made of a light-permeable material, is used in conjunction with a catheter equipped with a window portion, allowing light to pass through and preventing shadows, while a positioning marker aids in X-ray positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metal core guide wire is used for structural support, then the guide wire possesses sufficient strength and rigidity, but it blocks light during optical imaging and creates back shadows
Solution Approach 1:
The guide wire is designed with different material properties in different sections: the distal portion uses an optically transmissive material for imaging clarity, while the proximal portion uses a metal core material for strength and rigidity. This local differentiation allows each section to fulfill its specific functional requirement without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wire employs a composite structure combining optically transmissive material and metal core material in a single component. This composite approach enables the guide wire to simultaneously achieve optical transparency in the imaging region and mechanical strength in the manipulation region, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If an optically transmissive guide wire is used to prevent back shadows, then imaging clarity is improved, but the guide wire may lose sufficient structural strength
Solution Approach 1:
The guide wire is designed with different material properties in different sections: the distal portion uses an optically transmissive material for imaging clarity, while the proximal portion uses a metal core material for strength and rigidity. This local differentiation allows each section to fulfill its specific functional requirement without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wire employs a composite structure combining optically transmissive material and metal core material in a single component. This composite approach enables the guide wire to simultaneously achieve optical transparency in the imaging region and mechanical strength in the manipulation region, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the entire guide wire is made of optically transmissive material, then no back shadow is created, but the guide wire becomes too flexible and difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The guide wire is designed with different material properties in different sections: the distal portion uses an optically transmissive material for imaging clarity, while the proximal portion uses a metal core material for strength and rigidity. This local differentiation allows each section to fulfill its specific functional requirement without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wire employs a composite structure combining optically transmissive material and metal core material in a single component. This composite approach enables the guide wire to simultaneously achieve optical transparency in the imaging region and mechanical strength in the manipulation region, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
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 solution effectively prevents back shadows during imaging, enabling clear visualization of blood vessel walls without blind spots and facilitating accurate lesion detection.
Implementation Method 1
the optically transmissive portion possessing light permeability such that when light is illuminated toward the optically transmissive portion from one direction of a lateral side of the optically transmissive portion, the light is transmitted through the optically transmissive portion to an opposite side of the optically transmissive portion through the center axis of the main body
Implementation Method 2
the wire main body is provided with a positioning marker which is visibly confirmed under X-ray illumination when carrying out positioning with respect to the medical instrument
Data Source
AI summary
A guide wire includes an elongated main body possessing flexibility. The main boy is comprised of a first wire having a core member constituted by a metal material, a second wire having a core member arranged on the proximal side of the first wire and constituted by a metal material, and an optically transmissive member arranged between the first wire and the second wire, and connecting the first and second wires to each other and constituted by a substantially transparent tube shaped body. The optically transmissive member exhibits light permeability such that when light is illuminated from one direction of a lateral side thereof, the light is transmissible to the opposite side through the center axis of the main body.