Variable Flexibility Coil for Endovascular Navigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing endovascular devices face challenges in achieving optimal flexibility and maneuverability, particularly in navigating through tortuous body lumens, due to rigid structures that can cause injury and hinder precise steering.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates an elongated coil with varying coil segments having different numbers of wires and coil angles, transitioning from a more rigid proximal segment to a flexible distal segment, along with a core wire that can bend radially, allowing for increased flexibility and steerability while maintaining structural strength.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the coil is made with uniform wire configuration throughout, then manufacturing is simplified, but flexibility cannot increase toward the distal end

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoil manufacturing simplicityVSAvoidflexibility variation capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The coil is divided into multiple segments (first coil segment, second coil segment, third coil segment) along its longitudinal axis, with each segment having different wire configurations. This segmentation allows the proximal segment to have more wires for rigidity while the distal segment has fewer wires for flexibility, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and flexibility variation capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the coil are given different local properties by varying the number of wires and coil angle in each segment. The proximal segment has a first number of wires and first coil angle for structural strength, while the distal segment has a second number of wires and second coil angle for enhanced flexibility, allowing the coil to adapt to different mechanical requirements at different locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the distal end is made more flexible for navigation, then maneuverability improves, but structural strength decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaneuverability in tortuous lumensVSAvoidstructural strength at distal end

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The coil structure is segmented into proximal and distal portions with different wire configurations. The proximal segment maintains higher structural strength with more wires, while the distal segment uses fewer wires to achieve enhanced flexibility for navigation through tortuous lumens, thus resolving the contradiction between strength and maneuverability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The coil angle and number of wires are varied as parameters along the longitudinal axis of the coil. By changing these parameters from the proximal to distal end, the coil achieves a gradient of mechanical properties - stiffer at the proximal end for strength and more flexible at the distal end for maneuverability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If the coil angle is increased toward the distal end, then flexibility increases, but torque transmission may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in coil segmentsVSAvoidtorque transmission reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The coil is segmented into multiple regions with progressively increasing coil angles from proximal to distal. This segmentation allows each segment to be optimized for its specific function - proximal segments with lower coil angles for torque transmission and distal segments with higher coil angles for flexibility, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and torque transmission reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20220323078A1Rotationally torquable endovascular device with variable flexibility tip

Publication Date: 2022.10.13 RAPID MEDICAL

AI summary

Endovascular and intravascular devices and methods of manufacturing endovascular and intravascular devices may be provided. In one implementation, an intravascular device including an elongated sheath and an elongated coil distal to the sheath may be provided. The coil may include a first coil segment formed from a plurality of wires helically-wound at a first coil angle; a second coil segment formed from a first subset of the plurality of wires that is helically-wound at a second coil angle that is different from the first coil angle; and a third coil segment formed from a second subset of the plurality of wires that is helically-wound at a third coil angle that is different from the first and second coil angles. The coil segments may be configured such that flexibility of the coil increases in a longitudinal direction toward the distal end of the coil.