Portable urethral stenosis dilator suitable for urinary surgery

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of medical instruments, and discloses a portable urethral stenosis dilator suitable for urinary surgery, comprising a handle, a joint tube connected to one end of the handle, an elastic dilation skeleton arranged at one end of the joint tube away from the handle, and an elastic sheath covering the elastic dilation skeleton; a driving adjusting mechanism is arranged in the handle, a traction rope sequentially penetrating through the joint pipe and the interior of the elastic expansion framework is connected to the driving adjusting mechanism, and the tail end of the traction rope is fixed to the end, away from the joint pipe, of the elastic expansion framework. By means of the clearance fit structure of the multiple joint pipes connected in series and the circular-truncated-cone-shaped connecting disc, the flexible implantation advantage of a balloon dilator and the rigid supporting advantage of a hard dilator are successfully achieved, and in the insertion stage, relative swing between the joint pipes enables the joint pipes to conform to physiological bending of the urethra like a catheter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical device technology, specifically to a portable urethral stricture dilator suitable for urological surgery. Background Technology

[0002] Urethral stricture is a common disease in urology, mainly characterized by a narrowing of the urethral lumen, leading to difficulty urinating, urinary retention, and even kidney damage. One of the main treatments for this condition is urethral dilation, which physically widens the diameter of the narrowed area to restore urethral patency.

[0003] Currently, commonly used urethral dilators in clinical practice are mainly divided into two categories: rigid metal dilators (such as urethral probes) and high-pressure balloon dilators. Rigid metal dilators are usually made of stainless steel, with a defined curvature and high structural rigidity. Their advantage lies in providing strong radial dilation force, exhibiting good tearing and dilation effects on severely fibrotic and hard scar tissue. However, the male urethra has a complex anatomy, with two physiological curves: the subpubic curve and the prepubic curve, and significant individual differences. Rigid dilators cannot dynamically change shape to adapt to the patient's specific urethral shape during insertion, making operation highly dependent on the surgeon's feel and experience. Slight carelessness can easily damage the urethral mucosa, leading to bleeding, infection, and even serious complications such as false passage formation or rectal perforation. Furthermore, when using rigid dilators, it is usually necessary to gradually dilate by changing multiple probes of different sizes, from thin to thick. Repeated insertion and removal not only increases the operation time but also exacerbates mechanical friction damage to the urethral wall and increases the patient's pain.

[0004] To address the issue of the permeability of rigid dilators, high-pressure balloon dilation catheters were developed. These devices utilize a flexible catheter to insert a folded balloon into the narrowed area, achieving dilation by injecting water and applying pressure. While their flexibility makes insertion relatively safe and causes less damage to the mucosa, when dealing with hard, old scars, the balloon often deforms under pressure, becoming gourd-shaped, resulting in insufficient effective dilation force. This fails to adequately open the narrowed ring, and excessive pressure can even cause the balloon to rupture. Furthermore, balloon dilators lack the rigid support of a mechanical structure; the dilation diameter is mainly controlled by fluid pressure calculations, lacking intuitive mechanical feedback. Additionally, if the balloon does not retract completely during withdrawal, the loosened balloon wall can easily become stuck or scrape the urethra during withdrawal.

[0005] In summary, existing urethral dilation techniques present a difficult contradiction between the safety of flexible insertion and the effectiveness of rigid dilation. Clinically, there is an urgent need for a dilation device that can flexibly pass through physiological curves like a catheter, while providing strong and controllable mechanical support like a metal probe once in place. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a portable urethral stricture dilator suitable for urological surgery, solving the problems mentioned in the background section.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution: a portable urethral stricture dilator suitable for urology, comprising a handle, a joint tube connected to one end of the handle, an elastic dilating frame disposed at the end of the joint tube away from the handle, and an elastic sheath covering the outside of the elastic dilating frame. The handle is equipped with a drive adjustment mechanism, and a traction rope is connected to the drive adjustment mechanism, which passes through the joint tube and the elastic expansion frame in sequence. The end of the traction rope is fixed to the end of the elastic expansion frame away from the joint tube. The drive adjustment mechanism winds up the traction rope, forcing the elastic expansion skeleton to compress axially and expand radially simultaneously.

[0008] Preferably, there are multiple articulated tubes, which are arranged in series from end to end along the axial direction; except for the articulated tube directly connected to the handle, the other articulated tubes near the handle and the elastic expansion skeleton near the handle are all fixedly provided with connecting discs.

[0009] Preferably, each of the joint tubes has a recessed opening at the end away from the handle; the outer contour of the connecting plate is frustum-shaped and is adapted to be inserted into the recessed opening of the adjacent component; when the traction rope is in a slack state, there is a gap between the outer wall of the connecting plate and the inner wall of the recessed opening.

[0010] Preferably, the drive adjustment mechanism includes: A bracket fixedly connected to the inner wall of the handle; Rotate the take-up roller connected to the bracket, and one end of the traction rope is wound and fixed on the take-up roller; A dial is fixedly connected coaxially to the take-up roller, and the dial is located outside the handle.

[0011] Preferably, it further includes a one-way locking component, the one-way locking component comprising: A ratchet is coaxially fixed on one side of the take-up roller; A pawl hinged to the bracket is used to engage in the tooth groove of the ratchet to limit the reverse rotation of the take-up roller; A torsion spring disposed at the hinge between the pawl and the bracket is used to apply torque to the pawl to maintain its engagement tendency with the ratchet.

[0012] Preferably, it further includes an unlocking and reset component, the unlocking and reset component comprising: A pull ring is located on the outer wall of the handle; A pull rope with one end connected to the pull ring, the other end of the pull rope passing through the handle and connected to the end of the pawl away from the hinge axis.

[0013] Preferably, one of the connecting discs at one end of the joint tube can be inclined, and the recessed opening at one end of the joint tube adjacent to the inclined connecting disc can be inclined.

[0014] Preferably, a return spring is also coaxially disposed inside the elastic expansion frame; the two ends of the return spring abut against the two ends of the elastic expansion frame respectively, and are used to provide a restoring force to make the elastic expansion frame axially elongate when the tension of the traction rope is released.

[0015] Preferably, the ratchet and the dial are located on opposite sides of the take-up roller along the axial direction; both ends of the take-up roller are rotatably supported on the bracket by bearings or shafts.

[0016] Preferably, the distal end of the elastic sheath is closed, and the proximal end is closed and fixed to the connection point between the connecting disc near the handle end of the elastic expansion skeleton and the recessed disc opening of the adjacent joint tube.

[0017] This invention provides a portable urethral stricture dilator suitable for urological surgery. It has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention, through a gap-fitting structure of multiple series articulated tubes and a frustum-shaped connecting disc, successfully combines the flexible insertion advantages of balloon dilators with the rigid support advantages of rigid dilators. During the insertion phase, the relative oscillation between the articulated tubes allows it to conform to the physiological curvature of the urethra like a catheter, avoiding false passage or mucosal damage caused by the rigidity of traditional rigid metal dilators. During the expansion phase, the forced opening of the mechanical skeleton provides a sufficiently large radial expansion force, solving the defects of balloon dilators that often fail to expand due to insufficient pressure or are prone to balloon rupture when dealing with hard scar tissue.

[0018] 2. This invention overcomes the operational pain points of the two existing mainstream technologies by using a coaxially arranged take-up roller, ratchet, and pawl biased by a torsion spring to form a one-way drive locking mechanism. Compared with the cumbersome process of frequently inserting and removing different models of rigid dilators for gradual expansion, and the problem of ambiguous and unstable diameter control caused by the reliance on fluid pressure by balloon dilators, this structure can achieve continuous and precise stepless expansion and automatically lock and hold at any diameter position, which not only ensures the accuracy of expansion, but also simplifies the surgical operation process.

[0019] 3. This invention integrates an instantaneous unlocking component triggered by a pull ring with a built-in reset spring, constructing a purely mechanical safety reset mechanism independent of the fluid system. It retains the advantage of the balloon dilator being able to shrink in size when withdrawn, while solving the safety hazard of the balloon being difficult to remove due to blockage of the pressure relief channel or elastic fatigue of the balloon wall leading to incomplete retraction. In addition, the outer elastic sheath can quickly and smoothly retract under the action of the reset spring, avoiding secondary dragging damage to the urethral wall caused by the high surface friction of the rigid dilator when withdrawn. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the extended state of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the elastic expansion skeleton of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting disc of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the joint tube structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the handle of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the take-up roller of the present invention; Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0021] The components are: 1. Handle; 2. Joint tube; 3. Elastic expansion frame; 4. Elastic sheath; 5. Connecting disc; 6. Return spring; 7. Traction rope; 8. Recessed disc; 9. Take-up roller; 10. Dial; 11. Ratchet; 12. Bracket; 13. Pawl; 14. Torsion spring; 15. Pull rope; 16. Pull ring. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Example

[0023] Please see the appendix Figure 1 -Appendix Figure 8This invention provides a portable urethral stricture dilator suitable for urological surgery, comprising a handle 1, a joint tube 2, an elastic dilator frame 3, an elastic sheath 4, a connecting disc 5, a reset spring 6, a traction rope 7, a recessed disc 8, a winding roller 9, a dial 10, a ratchet 11, a bracket 12, a pawl 13, a torsion spring 14, a pull rope 15, and a pull ring 16.

[0024] The main structure of the dilator consists of a handle 1 as the operating end, extending distally through multiple articulated tubes 2 connected in series, with an elastic dilator frame 3 at the end for performing the dilation action. The elastic dilator frame 3 is externally covered by an elastic sheath 4, made of medical-grade flexible biocompatible material with a smooth surface to reduce frictional damage to the urethral wall during dilation. The distal end of the elastic sheath 4 is closed, while the proximal end is closed and fixed to the connection point of the elastic dilator frame 3 near the handle 1. Specifically, the fixing position is located at the junction of the connecting disc 5 and the recessed opening 8 of the adjacent articulated tube 2 to prevent bodily fluids from seeping into the device.

[0025] A bracket 12 is fixedly mounted inside the handle 1 using screws or clips, providing a static support reference for the entire drive adjustment mechanism. The take-up roller 9 is rotatably connected to the bracket 12 via bearings or a shaft, allowing it only the freedom to rotate about its own axis. A dial 10 is coaxially fixedly connected to the take-up roller 9, with a portion of its structure extending out through an opening in the handle 1 housing, allowing the operator to input rotational torque by flicking it with their fingers. A ratchet 11 is coaxially fixedly mounted on one side of the take-up roller 9, rotating synchronously with both the take-up roller 9 and the dial 10.

[0026] To achieve unidirectional drive and position holding, a pin is provided on the bracket 12, through which the pawl 13 is hinged. A torsion spring 14 is installed at the hinge point between the pawl 13 and the bracket 12. One end of the torsion spring 14 abuts against the bracket 12, and the other end abuts against the pawl 13, continuously applying a biasing torque to the pawl 13 so that its tip presses against the tooth groove of the ratchet 11. When the dial 10 rotates in the winding direction, the pawl 13 slides over the back of the teeth of the ratchet 11; when the dial stops rotating, the pawl 13, under the action of the torsion spring 14, engages with the tooth groove of the ratchet 11, preventing the take-up roller 9 from rotating in the opposite direction, thereby locking the current traction state.

[0027] To enable quick unlocking and reset, a groove is provided on the outer wall of the handle 1, and a pull ring 16 is embedded in the groove. The outer surface of the pull ring 16 is flush with or slightly protruding from the outer contour of the handle 1 to avoid accidental activation. One end of the pull rope 15 is fixed to the pull ring 16, and the other end passes through the handle 1 housing and enters the interior, connecting to the end of the pawl 13 away from its hinge axis. This utilizes the lever principle, with the hinge point of the pawl 13 as the fulcrum, and the lever arm of the pull rope 15 at the point of action being longer than the lever arm of the ratchet 11 at the engagement point. When the pull ring 16 is pulled outward, the pull rope 15 is tensioned and causes the pawl 13 to swing against the resistance of the torsion spring 14, causing the tip of the pawl 13 to disengage from the tooth groove of the ratchet 11, thus releasing the rotation restriction on the take-up roller 9.

[0028] Regarding the power transmission and flexible drive structure, one end of the traction rope 7 is wound and fixed to the take-up roller 9, and the other end passes sequentially through the central through hole of the bracket 12, the multi-section articulated tube 2, and the elastic expansion frame 3, and is finally fixed at the farthest end of the elastic expansion frame 3 away from the articulated tube 2. The number of articulated tubes 2 is set to multiple according to clinical needs, for example, 3 to 10, connected in series along the axial direction. Except for the first articulated tube 2 that is directly connected to the handle 1, the ends of the remaining articulated tubes 2 near the handle 1 and the ends of the elastic expansion frame 3 near the handle 1 are all fixed with connecting discs 5. Correspondingly, a recessed disc opening 8 is opened at the end of each articulated tube 2 far from the handle 1.

[0029] The outer contour of the connecting disc 5 is designed as a frustum, and the inner wall shape of the recessed disc 8 is adapted to the connecting disc 5. The connecting disc 5 is inserted into the recessed disc 8 of the adjacent component, forming a ball joint-like connection structure. When the traction rope 7 is in a slack state without tension, a designed gap is reserved between the outer wall of the connecting disc 5 and the inner wall of the recessed disc 8. This gap allows for a certain angle of relative deflection between two adjacent articulated tubes 2. The cumulative deflection angle of multiple articulated tubes 2 allows the entire inserted tube segment to present a curved shape, thereby conforming to the physiological curvature of the male urethra.

[0030] The elastic expansion frame 3 adopts a mesh-like woven structure or a slotted tube structure with elastic memory function. A return spring 6 is coaxially arranged inside the elastic expansion frame 3. The return spring 6 is a helical compression spring, with its two ends abutting against the distal and proximal inner walls of the elastic expansion frame 3, respectively. When the drive mechanism is in a relaxed state, the return spring 6 is in a naturally extended or slightly compressed state, supporting the elastic expansion frame 3 to maintain its slender initial shape, facilitating passage through narrow urethral areas. Example

[0031] The structure of this embodiment is exactly the same as that of Embodiment 1, except that the two joint tubes 2 in the middle near the elastic expansion skeleton 3 are adjusted so that the installation angle of the connecting plate 5 and the opening angle of the recessed plate 8 are tilted. When the two joint tubes 2 are connected, the whole expander has a bend at this node, so that the appearance of the whole expander is closer to that of a rigid metal expander when it is taut. These two expanders can be selected according to the actual situation of the patient.

[0032] Working Principle: In the initial state, the traction rope 7 is in a relaxed state without tension. The return spring 6 located inside the elastic expansion frame 3 uses its own elastic restoring force to push the distal end of the elastic expansion frame 3 axially, so that the elastic expansion frame 3 maintains a slender shape with axial elongation and radial contraction. At this time, the elastic sheath 4 is tightly attached to the surface of the frame. At the same time, since the traction rope 7 does not apply axial compression force to the multi-section articulated tubes 2, a designed gap is maintained between the connecting disc 5 and the recessed disc 8 between adjacent articulated tubes 2. This gap allows each articulated tube 2 to deflect relative to each other at a certain angle, so that the insertion section composed of articulated tubes 2 is flexible and can conform to the physiological curvature of the urethra to enter the body under the operation of medical staff until the elastic expansion frame 3 reaches the location of the urethral stricture lesion.

[0033] After the device is positioned, the operator moves the dial 10 located outside the handle 1. The dial 10 drives the internally coaxially connected take-up roller 9 to rotate on the bracket 12, starting to wind up the traction rope 7. As the traction rope 7 winds around the take-up roller 9, its effective length shortens, and the resulting tension first eliminates the gap between the joint tubes 2, making the connecting disc 5 tightly abut against the recessed disc opening 8, transforming the flexible insertion tube section into a support body with a certain degree of rigidity.

[0034] Subsequently, the traction rope 7 continues to pull the distal end of the elastic dilatation frame 3 towards the handle 1, forcing the elastic dilatation frame 3 to overcome the resistance of the return spring 6 and undergo axial compression deformation. As the axial length shortens, the mesh or slotted structure of the elastic dilatation frame 3 is stretched open, producing radial expansion, which in turn supports the outer elastic sheath 4, dilating the narrowed tissue of the urethral wall.

[0035] During this process, the ratchet 11, which rotates synchronously with the take-up roller 9, continuously actuates the pawl 13. Under the torque provided by the torsion spring 14, the pawl 13 always maintains a tendency to adhere to the tooth surface of the ratchet 11. When the dial 10 is stopped, the pawl 13 engages in the tooth groove of the ratchet 11, forming a one-way mechanical lock, preventing the take-up roller 9 from reversing under the tension of the traction rope 7, thereby maintaining the elastic expansion frame 3 at the current expansion diameter and ensuring the stability of the expansion effect.

[0036] After the treatment is completed, the operator pulls the pull ring 16 on the outer wall of the handle 1. The pull ring 16 applies a pulling force to the pawl 13 through the pull rope 15. This pulling force overcomes the resistance of the torsion spring 14, causing the pawl 13 to swing around its hinge point on the bracket 12, so that the pawl 13 disengages from the tooth groove of the ratchet 11. At this time, the take-up roller 9 loses its rotation restriction and is in a free state.

[0037] The compressed return spring 6 inside the elastic expansion frame 3 releases its elastic potential energy, pushing the elastic expansion frame 3 to elongate axially. This action pulls the traction rope 7 off the winding roller 9, and simultaneously the radial diameter of the elastic expansion frame 3 rapidly retracts to its initial slender state, with the elastic sheath 4 retracting accordingly. As the tension of the traction rope 7 is released, the axial clamping force between the joint tubes 2 disappears, the gap between the connecting disc 5 and the recessed disc 8 is restored, and the inserted tube section regains its flexibility. At this point, the operator can safely remove the entire device from the urethra. When the device is not in use, it can be folded in half at the two joint tube sections 2 in the middle section, thus shortening the overall length and further improving portability.

Claims

1. A portable urethral stricture dilator suitable for urological surgery, characterized in that, It includes a handle (1), a joint tube (2) connected to one end of the handle (1), an elastic expansion frame (3) disposed at the end of the joint tube (2) away from the handle (1), and an elastic sheath (4) covering the outside of the elastic expansion frame (3). The handle (1) is provided with a drive adjustment mechanism, and a traction rope (7) is connected to the drive adjustment mechanism, which passes through the joint tube (2) and the elastic expansion frame (3) in sequence. The end of the traction rope (7) is fixed to the end of the elastic expansion frame (3) away from the joint tube (2). The drive adjustment mechanism winds up the traction rope (7), forcing the elastic expansion skeleton (3) to compress axially and expand radially simultaneously.

2. A portable urethral stricture dilator suitable for urological surgery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the joint tubes (2) is multiple, and the multiple joint tubes (2) are arranged in series from end to end along the axial direction; except for the joint tubes (2) that are directly connected to the handle (1), the other joint tubes (2) near the handle (1) and the elastic expansion skeleton (3) near the handle (1) are all fixedly provided with connecting discs (5).

3. A portable urethral stricture dilator suitable for urological surgery according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the joint tubes (2) has a recessed opening (8) at one end away from the handle (1); the outer contour of the connecting plate (5) is frustoconical and is adapted to be inserted into the recessed opening (8) of the adjacent component; when the traction rope (7) is in a slack state, there is a gap between the outer wall of the connecting plate (5) and the inner wall of the recessed opening (8).

4. A portable urethral stricture dilator suitable for urological surgery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive adjustment mechanism includes: A bracket (12) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the handle (1); Rotate the take-up roller (9) connected to the bracket (12), and one end of the traction rope (7) is wrapped and fixed on the take-up roller (9); A dial (10) is fixedly connected coaxially to the take-up roller (9), and the dial (10) is located outside the handle (1).

5. A portable urethral stricture dilator suitable for urological surgery according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a one-way locking component, the one-way locking component comprising: A ratchet (11) is coaxially fixed on one side of the take-up roller (9); A pawl (13) hinged to the bracket (12) is used to engage in the tooth groove of the ratchet (11) to restrict the reverse rotation of the take-up roller (9); A torsion spring (14) is provided at the hinge of the pawl (13) and the bracket (12) to apply torque to the pawl (13) to maintain its engagement tendency with the ratchet (11).

6. A portable urethral stricture dilator for urology according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes an unlocking and reset component, which comprises: A pull ring (16) is set on the outer wall of the handle (1); A pull rope (15) is connected at one end to the pull ring (16), and the other end of the pull rope (15) is inserted into the handle (1) and connected to the end of the pawl (13) away from the hinge axis.

7. A portable urethral stricture dilator for urology according to claim 3, characterized in that, One of the connecting discs (5) at one end of the joint tube (2) can be inclined, and the recessed disc (8) at one end of the joint tube (2) near the inclined connecting disc (5) can be inclined.

8. A portable urethral stricture dilator for urology according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic expansion frame (3) is also coaxially provided with a return spring (6); the two ends of the return spring (6) are respectively abutted between the two ends of the elastic expansion frame (3) to provide a restoring force for axial elongation of the elastic expansion frame (3) when the tension of the traction rope (7) is released.

9. A portable urethral stricture dilator for urology according to claim 5, characterized in that, The ratchet (11) and the dial (10) are located on both sides of the winding roller (9) along the axial direction, respectively; the two ends of the winding roller (9) are rotatably supported on the bracket (12) by bearings or shafts.

10. A portable urethral stricture dilator for urology according to claim 3, characterized in that, The distal end of the elastic sheath (4) is closed, and the proximal end is closed and fixed to the connection point of the connecting plate (5) of the elastic expansion skeleton (3) near the handle (1) and the recessed plate (8) of the adjacent joint tube (2).

Images