Vascular Treatment Wire Sheath Coupling Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vascular treatment devices lack a safe and efficient mechanism for advancing and retracting a rotating wire within the patient's vasculature, risking accidental activation and vessel damage during procedures like varicose vein treatment and thrombectomy.
Innovation Solution
A vascular treatment device with a handle and cartridge system, where the female coupling on the cartridge engages with a male coupling on the handle to expose the wire tip for treatment, and automatically covers it for safe advancement, featuring a microswitch for safe activation and a sheath to protect the wire during insertion and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the wire is exposed for treatment, then the treatment effectiveness is improved, but the risk of accidental activation and vessel damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sheath is pre-positioned to cover the wire tip before the procedure begins. The operator must deliberately perform the action of retracting the sheath to expose the wire tip, ensuring that the wire is only exposed when intentionally prepared for treatment. This preliminary protective state prevents accidental activation during insertion and positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath acts as an intermediary protective element between the operator and the patient's vasculature. It physically intervenes to prevent direct contact between the wire tip and vessel wall during non-treatment phases, while allowing controlled access during treatment. The microswitch serves as an intermediary safety mechanism that prevents motor activation unless the sheath is properly retracted.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the device is designed for safe advancement with covered wire, then the safety during insertion is improved, but the complexity of the device structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sheath and wire are combined into a single integrated assembly where the sheath is fixed to the cartridge and the wire runs through it. The microswitch mechanism is merged with the sheath retraction system, so that sheath retraction and motor activation readiness are coupled. This integration reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall device structure while maintaining safety functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire is nested within the sheath during the insertion phase, with the sheath providing a protective outer layer. When treatment is required, the sheath is retracted to expose the nested wire. This nested configuration allows the device to maintain a compact, safe profile during advancement while enabling wire exposure when needed, without requiring complex mechanical systems.
3Reliability
If the microswitch safety mechanism is implemented, then the prevention of accidental activation is improved, but the ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The microswitch is positioned and configured to be automatically actuated by the operator's own deliberate action of retracting the sheath. The system uses the operator's intentional sheath retraction movement to trigger the safety mechanism, rather than requiring a separate activation step. This self-service approach maintains safety while preserving operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The microswitch is pre-configured in a state where it will be activated by the necessary preliminary action of sheath retraction. The safety mechanism is designed so that the deliberate act of preparing the wire for treatment (retracting the sheath) automatically enables motor activation readiness. This eliminates the need for separate safety checks or additional activation steps, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring safety.
Data Source
AI summary
A wire for use with a vascular treatment device may have a proximal end, a distal end, and a main shaft extending therebetween. The distal end may have a distal free end and a first segment. The first segment may extend from the main shaft and may be biased to a first included angle that is defined between the main shaft and the first segment and less than 180 degrees.