Wire Guide Segmentation for Axial Stiffness and Radial Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wire guides used in medical procedures face challenges such as tangling or obstruction during catheter advancement, difficulty in maintaining position within the body vessel, and limited ability to resist catheter-induced bending, which can hinder effective navigation and positioning.
Innovation Solution
A wire guide design featuring a core wire with an engaging portion that can extend to anchor within the body vessel, combined with a coiled outer component and a stop portion to prevent over-insertion, allowing for improved axial stiffness and radial flexibility, enabling secure positioning and catheter advancement without causing the wire guide to migrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the wire guide diameter is increased to improve axial stiffness and reduce kinking, then the wire guide becomes more resistant to bending and obstruction, but the wire guide may not be small enough to be received by the catheter or may be undesirably invasive to the body vessel
Solution Approach 1:
The wire guide is divided into distinct functional segments: a proximal shaft portion with high axial stiffness for pushability, a distal tip portion with high radial flexibility for vessel negotiation, and an engaging portion with intermediate properties for anchoring. This segmentation allows each portion to have optimized properties for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between overall stiffness and diameter.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the wire guide have different mechanical properties: the shaft has high axial stiffness for control, the distal tip has high radial flexibility to navigate vessels without damage, and the engaging portion has specific properties to anchor in the vessel wall. This local differentiation allows the wire guide to achieve both pushability and compatibility with catheters and vessels.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the wire guide is made more radially flexible to negotiate winding body vessel paths, then the wire guide can navigate complex anatomy and reduce vessel damage, but the wire guide may become tangled or obstructed during catheter advancement
Solution Approach 1:
The wire guide is segmented into a flexible distal tip for vessel navigation and a more rigid shaft portion for stable catheter advancement. The engaging portion is designed to anchor securely, preventing the wire guide from becoming tangled or obstructed during catheter advancement while maintaining the flexibility needed to navigate winding vessel paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The engaging portion is designed to perform the action of anchoring to the vessel wall in advance, creating a stable foundation before catheter advancement occurs. This preliminary anchoring action prevents subsequent tangling or obstruction during the catheter advancement process.
3Ease of operation
If the wire guide is designed with high axial stiffness to improve pushability and control, then the wire guide will not become stuck or obstructed during advancement, but the wire guide may migrate to another position within the body vessel after positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The wire guide is segmented into a pushable shaft portion and a stable engaging portion. The shaft provides pushability and control during advancement, while the engaging portion anchors to the vessel wall to maintain position stability after positioning, preventing migration.
Solution Approach 2:
The engaging portion performs the anchoring action in advance during the positioning process, creating a stable foundation that prevents subsequent migration of the wire guide while maintaining the pushability needed for controlled advancement.
Data Source
AI summary
A wire guide and a method for its percutaneous guidance within a body vessel are provided. The wire guide includes an outer component for insertion into the body vessel and a core wire disposed in the outer component and movable between first and second positions. The core wire includes an engaging portion that extends from the outer component to engage the body vessel when the core wire is in the second position.