Vessel Wall Delivery Struts with Depth Stoppers

Solution Overview

Problem

Current minimally invasive devices are inadequate for delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents directly into the vessel wall at multiple treatment locations without penetrating the outer vessel wall and into extravascular tissue.

Innovation Solution

A minimally invasive device comprising an introducer tube, a tubular member with hollow delivery struts that pierce through the innermost layers of the vessel wall, equipped with stoppers to prevent penetration through the outermost layers, allowing for the delivery of agents directly into the vessel wall while preventing extravascular tissue penetration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If hollow needles are extended to pierce through the vessel wall, then therapeutic agents can be delivered into the vessel wall, but the needles may penetrate through the outermost layers and damage extravascular tissue

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery accuracyVSAvoidtissue damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Stoppers are pre-positioned on the delivery struts at a predetermined distance from the tips, establishing a mechanical limit before the procedure begins. This preliminary constraint ensures that during agent delivery, the struts cannot penetrate beyond the intended depth into extravascular tissue, thus preventing tissue damage while maintaining delivery accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The stopper acts as an intermediary element between the delivery strut tip and the extravascular tissue. It provides a mechanical barrier that stops the strut at the appropriate depth, mediating between the need to pierce the vessel wall for drug delivery and the need to prevent penetration into surrounding tissues.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If delivery struts are made longer to reach multiple treatment locations, then more treatment sites can be accessed, but the risk of penetrating through the outer vessel wall increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment location coverageVSAvoidextravascular penetration risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Stoppers are pre-positioned on the delivery struts at a predetermined distance from the tips, establishing a mechanical limit before the procedure begins. This preliminary constraint ensures that during agent delivery, the struts cannot penetrate beyond the intended depth into extravascular tissue, thus preventing tissue damage while maintaining delivery accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The stopper acts as an intermediary element between the delivery strut tip and the extravascular tissue. It provides a mechanical barrier that stops the strut at the appropriate depth, mediating between the need to pierce the vessel wall for drug delivery and the need to prevent penetration into surrounding tissues.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple delivery struts are used to treat multiple locations, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-location treatment capabilityVSAvoidnumber of delivery components

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple hollow delivery struts are integrated into a single tubular member structure, allowing multiple treatment locations to be addressed through one unified device. The struts are arranged radially or longitudinally within the tubular member, combining multiple delivery functions into a single deployable unit that reduces procedural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The delivery device is designed with multiple hollow struts that can simultaneously or sequentially deliver therapeutic agents to multiple treatment locations along the vessel wall. This multi-functional design allows a single device to perform what would otherwise require multiple separate interventions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS8007470B2Minimally invasive medical device and method for delivery of therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel wall

Publication Date: 2011.08.30 COOK MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

The invention relates to minimally invasive device for delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents into a vessel wall. The device includes an introducer tube, a tubular member having a proximal end, a distal end, and a first lumen extending therebetween, the tubular member being slidably disposed within the introducer tube; a plurality of hollow delivery struts, each delivery strut adapted to pierce through inner most layers of the vessel wall and each comprising at least one exit port and at least one stopper to prevent the delivery strut from piercing through the outer most layers of the vessel wall. The delivery struts are disposed on the distal end of the tubular member and are in fluid communication with the first lumen. The invention also relates to methods of delivering the device of this invention and methods of treating conditions or diseases of body lumens.