Drug release balloon, drug release device and endoscope assembly

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of endoscopes. Disclosed are a drug release balloon, a drug release device, and an endoscope assembly. The drug release balloon comprises: a balloon body, a dissolution layer, and a drug carrier. The drug carrier is arranged on the surface of the balloon body by means of the dissolution layer, and the drug carrier is configured to comprise a puncturing end, wherein the puncturing end can be used for puncturing into an external medium. The balloon body is configured to have an expandable structure; when the balloon body is in an expanded state, the puncturing end is exposed outside the balloon body; and when the balloon body is in a contracted state, the puncturing end is wrapped in the balloon body. Thus, before reaching a specified position, the puncturing end of the drug carrier is wrapped by the balloon body to avoid falling off therefrom, and after reaching the specified position, the balloon body is expanded such that the puncturing end can be fitted to the external medium. Therefore, the present application solves the problem in the prior art that drugs on balloons are liable to fall off before drug application, and it is difficult to deliver drugs to specified positions for treatment, resulting in poor treatment effect.

Description

Drug-delivery balloon, drug delivery device and endoscope assembly Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of endoscopy, and more particularly to a drug delivery balloon, a drug delivery device, and an endoscope assembly.

[0002] Background Technology

[0003] A uterine tamponade balloon is a medical device primarily used for gynecological conditions such as uterine bleeding in women. It is used to insert a balloon into the uterus and inflate it to achieve the effect of dilation and compression to stop bleeding. It can also be used to deliver medication through the balloon to the uterus to treat or repair the endometrium.

[0004] However, coating the balloon with medication can easily result in a weak connection between the medication and the balloon, causing the medication to fall off before or during balloon insertion into the uterus. Once the balloon is inside the uterus, the medication's position changes, making it difficult to treat the intended location and thus leading to poor treatment results. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application discloses an endoscope assembly and an endoscope to at least partially improve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0006] To solve the above problems, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] On one hand, this application provides a drug-release balloon, comprising: a balloon body, a dissolving layer, and a drug carrier. The balloon body has an internal cavity and a liquid inlet channel connecting the internal cavity to the outside. The dissolving layer is disposed on the surface of the balloon body and communicates with the liquid inlet channel. The drug carrier has an insertion end and a connecting end, the connecting end being connected to the dissolving layer. The balloon body is configured such that when the balloon body is in an inflated state, the insertion end is exposed outside the balloon body, and when the balloon body is in a contracted state, the insertion end is enclosed within the balloon body.

[0008] In one embodiment, the capsule includes a support portion and a winding portion connected to each other, the connecting end being connected to the support portion, the winding portion having deformability, and when the capsule is in an inflated state, the insertion end is exposed outside the winding portion, and when the capsule is in a contracted state, the insertion end is wrapped inside the winding portion.

[0009] In one embodiment, the dissolving layer is connected to the connecting end and extends out to connect with the capsule body. The dissolving layer, the connecting end, and the capsule body together form a dissolving cavity, and the liquid inlet channel communicates with the dissolving cavity.

[0010] In one embodiment, the liquid inlet channel is located near the edge of the dissolving chamber.

[0011] In one embodiment, multiple liquid inlet channels are provided, which are evenly distributed and connected to the dissolution chamber.

[0012] In one embodiment, the support portion is provided with an installation groove, and the drug carrier is disposed in the installation groove.

[0013] In one embodiment, the insertion end includes at least one conical structure.

[0014] On the other hand, embodiments of this application also provide a drug delivery device, including a tube and a drug delivery balloon as described above, wherein the distal end of the tube communicates with the inner lumen and is sealed to the inner lumen, and the tube is used to inject liquid into the inner lumen.

[0015] In one embodiment, the distal end of the tube has a constricted region, the radial dimension of which is smaller than the radial dimension of the proximal end of the tube, and the inner cavity is sealed to the constricted region.

[0016] In another aspect, embodiments of this application also provide an endoscope assembly, including an endoscope and a drug delivery device as described above, wherein the endoscope has an instrument channel and the drug delivery device is detachably disposed within the instrument channel.

[0017] The technical solution adopted in this application can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The drug delivery balloon provided in this application embodiment has a drug carrier disposed on the surface of the balloon body through a dissolving layer. The drug carrier includes an insertion end that can be inserted into an external medium, such as the endometrium. The balloon body is an expandable structure; when the balloon is inflated, the insertion end is exposed outside the balloon body; when the balloon is contracted, the insertion end is enclosed within the balloon body. This ensures that the insertion end of the drug carrier is enclosed by the balloon body before reaching the designated location to prevent detachment. After reaching the designated location, the balloon body expands to allow the insertion end to interact with the external medium. Furthermore, the dissolving layer can be dissolved by the dissolving liquid injected into the balloon body, causing it to expand, thereby allowing the drug carrier to detach from the balloon body. This solves the problem in the prior art where the drug on the balloon easily detaches before administration, making it difficult to deliver the drug to the designated location for treatment, resulting in poor therapeutic effects. Applying the above-described drug delivery balloon to drug delivery devices can also solve the above problems. Applying the above-described drug delivery device to endoscope components can also solve the above problems. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an endoscope assembly in a contracted state according to an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an endoscope assembly in an inflated state according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of an endoscope assembly in an embodiment of this application, in which the cyst is in a contracted state after being inserted into the uterus.

[0023] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an endoscope assembly in an inflated state after being inserted into the uterus, according to one embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 5 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 1.

[0025] Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a partial structure of an endoscope assembly according to an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 7 shows a partial structural diagram of the drug delivery balloon in a contracted state in one embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a drug release balloon in an embodiment of this application, in an inflated state and in contact with the endometrium.

[0028] Figure 9 is an enlarged view of point B in Figure 8.

[0029] In the diagram: 1. Endoscope assembly; 10. Drug delivery device; 110. Drug delivery balloon; 111. Balloon body; 1111. Inner cavity; 1112. Inlet channel; 1113. Support unit; 1114. Retracting unit; 1115. Mounting groove; 112. Dissolution layer; 1121. Dissolution chamber; 113. Drug carrier; 1131. Insertion end; 1132. Connection end; 120. Tube body; 121. Narrowing area; 20. Endoscope; 210. Instrument channel; 220. Injection channel; 2. Uterus. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be described in detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other implementation methods obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0031] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0032] In the various embodiments of this application, "near end" and "far end" refer to the distance of each component from the user in the usage environment. The end closer to the user is designated as the "near end", and the end farther from the user is designated as the "far end".

[0033] The concept of this application is described here:

[0034] A uterine tamponade balloon is a medical device primarily used for gynecological conditions such as uterine bleeding in women. It is used to insert a balloon into the uterus and inflate it to achieve the effect of dilation and compression to stop bleeding. It can also be used to deliver medication through the balloon to the uterus to treat or repair the endometrium.

[0035] However, coating the balloon with medication can lead to a weak bond between the medication and the balloon, causing the medication to detach before or during insertion into the uterus. Once the balloon is inside the uterus, the medication's position changes, making it difficult to treat the intended location and resulting in poor treatment outcomes. While targeted injection can ensure sufficient contact between the medication and the endometrium, this method has a limited area of ​​effect and is very complex to perform.

[0036] Based on this, the inventors provide a drug-delivery balloon, a drug-delivery device, and an endoscope assembly. The drug-delivery balloon can be configured with a dissolving layer connecting the drug carrier and the balloon body. When the balloon body is inflated, the insertion end of the drug carrier is exposed outside the balloon body to facilitate contact between the drug carrier and the target medium for treatment. After the drug carrier is inserted into the target medium, the dissolving layer can be injected into the balloon body, causing the dissolving solution in the balloon body to dissolve, thereby allowing the drug carrier to detach from the balloon body for drug delivery to the target medium. When the balloon body is contracted, the insertion end of the drug carrier is enclosed within the balloon body to prevent the drug carrier from being affected by the external environment before drug delivery to the target medium, which could lead to drug detachment and affect subsequent drug delivery.

[0037] The following description, in conjunction with Figures 1 to 9, details a drug-release balloon 110, a drug-release device 10, and an endoscope assembly 1 provided in this application, through specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0038] Please refer to Figures 1-4 simultaneously. This application embodiment provides an endoscope assembly 1, which can be used to apply medication to the endometrium for treatment or repair. The endoscope assembly 1 may include an endoscope 20 and a drug delivery device 10. The endoscope 20 serves as a carrier for the drug delivery device 10, allowing the device to be inserted into the uterus 2 and the medication to adhere to the endometrium.

[0039] Please refer to Figures 1 and 5 simultaneously. The endoscope 20 may have an instrument channel 210 and an injection channel 220. The instrument channel 210 may be used to accommodate a drug delivery device 10, and the injection channel 220 may communicate with the drug delivery device 10. In this embodiment, the drug delivery device 10 is detachably disposed within the instrument channel 210 so that the endoscope 20 can be reused.

[0040] Please refer to Figures 1, 5, and 6 simultaneously. The drug delivery device 10 may include a tube 120 and a drug delivery balloon 110. The distal end of the tube 120 may communicate with the drug delivery balloon 110 and may be sealed to the endometrium 1111. The tube 120 may communicate with an injection channel 220. The operator can inject fluid into the tube 120 through the injection channel 220, thereby allowing the dissolving solution to enter the drug delivery balloon 110. This embodiment does not limit the dissolving solution injected into the drug delivery balloon 110; for example, it may be physiological saline. After the dissolving solution is injected, the drug delivery balloon 110 will expand, allowing the drug to contact the target medium, such as the endometrium, thereby providing targeted treatment to the target medium.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 6. In one embodiment, the distal end of the tube 120 may have a constricted region 121. The radial dimension of the constricted region 121 may be smaller than the radial dimension of the proximal end of the tube 120. The drug delivery balloon 110 may be sealed to the constricted region 121. This makes the dimensions of the entire drug delivery device 10 more uniform, preventing the distal end of the drug delivery device 10 from becoming too large after connecting the drug delivery balloon 110, which would make it difficult to move smoothly within the device channel 210.

[0042] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the tube 120 can extend into the interior of the drug release balloon 110. It is understood that since the drug release balloon 110 has low structural strength and is prone to collapse when it is in a contracted state, extending the tube 120 into the interior of the drug release balloon 110 allows the tube 120 to serve as a support structure for the drug release balloon 110. This facilitates the delivery of the drug release device 10 into the uterus 2. At the same time, the tube 120 can also serve as a guide during the delivery of the device into the uterus 2.

[0043] Referring to Figure 7, the drug delivery balloon 110 may include: a balloon body 111, a dissolving layer 112, and a drug carrier 113. The balloon body 111 has an inner cavity 1111, and the balloon body 111 also has a liquid inlet channel 1112 connecting the inner cavity 1111 to the outside. As described above, the tube 120 can extend into the inner cavity 1111 and inject liquid into the inner cavity 1111.

[0044] Specifically, in this embodiment, the capsule 111 can be configured such that when the capsule 111 is in an inflated state, the drug carrier 113 is exposed outside the capsule 111, and when the capsule 111 is in a contracted state, the drug carrier 113 is enclosed inside the capsule 111. This not only prevents the drug carrier 113 from falling off before drug delivery, but also ensures that the drug carrier 113 can cooperate well with the target medium during drug delivery.

[0045] The dissolving layer 112 can be disposed on the surface of the capsule 111 and communicate with the liquid inlet channel 1112. In a preferred embodiment, the dissolving layer 112 can be located at the opening of the liquid inlet channel 1112, so that the dissolving liquid in the liquid inlet channel 1112 can come into contact with the dissolving layer 112 immediately and cause the dissolving layer 112 to dissolve. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific form of the dissolving layer 112. For example, in one embodiment, the dissolving layer 112 can be gelatin, starch, sodium alginate, or chitosan, etc., and can be set according to the actual situation.

[0046] The drug carrier 113 may have an insertion end 1131 and a connecting end 1132. The connecting end 1132 may be connected to the dissolving layer 112. The insertion end 1131 may be positioned outward from the capsule 111 and may be used to insert into and fix the target medium. As mentioned above, when the capsule 111 is in an inflated state, the insertion end 1131 may be exposed outside the capsule 111. At this time, the insertion end 1131 may be inserted into and fixed to the target medium. At the same time, the dissolving solution injected into the capsule 111 may come into contact with the dissolving layer 112 through the inlet channel 1112. After the dissolving layer 112 is dissolved, the drug carrier 113 will detach from the capsule 111, thereby fixing the drug carrier 113 to the target medium and performing precise treatment on the target medium.

[0047] In one embodiment, the insertion end 1131 may include at least one conical structure, which facilitates the insertion end 1131 to be inserted into the target medium more conveniently and stably. This application does not limit the specific form and number of the conical structure. For example, the outer surface of the conical structure may be configured as a serpentine curved structure, and the number of conical structures may be two or three, etc., depending on the actual situation, and is not limited here.

[0048] The drug carrier 113 can carry drugs. Once the insertion end 1131 is fixed to the target medium, the drug can precisely treat the target medium. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the drug carrier 113 may be composed of drugs, while in other embodiments it may be a combination of drugs and porous carriers. In such embodiments, the porous carrier may be an inorganic carrier, such as silica or aluminum hydroxide. In another embodiment, the porous carrier may be an organic carrier, such as polyester, polyamide, polyorthoester, polyoxyethylene, or polyamide ester. The specific choice can be made according to the actual situation and is not limited here.

[0049] Please refer to Figures 7-9 simultaneously. In one embodiment, the bladder 111 may include a support portion 1113 and a winding portion 1114 connected to each other. The connecting end 1132 may be connected to the support portion 1113, and the winding portion 1114 may have deformability. When the bladder 111 is in an inflated state, the insertion end 1131 may be exposed outside the winding portion 1114; when the bladder 111 is in a contracted state, the insertion end 1131 may be wrapped inside the winding portion 1114. This application does not limit the winding and unfolding methods of the winding portion 1114. For example, in one embodiment, the winding portion 1114 may move closer to the support portion 1113 during the winding process and wrap around the support portion 1113.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 9. Further, in one embodiment, the carrier 1113 may be provided with an installation groove 1115, and the drug carrier 113 may be disposed in the installation groove 1115. The installation groove 1115 can further improve the stability of the connection between the drug carrier 113 and the capsule 111, and prevent the drug carrier 113 from detaching from the capsule 111 before drug administration.

[0051] In a more specific embodiment, the support portion 1113 can also be configured to be deformable. That is, when the capsule 111 is in an inflated state, the support portion 1113 will also expand accordingly, increasing the size of the mounting groove 1115. At this time, the drug carrier 113 located in the mounting groove 1115 can naturally detach from the mounting groove 1115. When the capsule 111 is in a contracted state, the support portion 1113 will also contract accordingly, decreasing the size of the mounting groove 1115. At this time, the drug carrier 113 located in the mounting groove 1115 can be clamped by the mounting groove 1115, thereby improving the stability of the connection between the drug carrier 113 and the capsule 111 and preventing the drug carrier 113 from detaching from the capsule 111 before drug administration. In other words, in this embodiment, the drug release balloon 110 not only facilitates avoiding the risk of drug carrier 113 detaching before drug administration but also facilitates drug administration.

[0052] In addition, in one embodiment, the dissolving layer 112 can be connected to the connecting end 1132 and extend the connecting end 1132 to connect with the capsule body 111. The dissolving layer 112, the connecting end 1132 and the capsule body 111 together form a dissolving cavity 1121. The liquid inlet channel 1112 communicates with the dissolving cavity 1121. That is to say, in this embodiment, the dissolving layer 112 can be a hollow structure, which can not only reduce costs, but also allow the dissolving layer 112 to be dissolved more quickly, avoiding the drug release balloon 110 from being in an inflated state for a long time, which would cause patient discomfort.

[0053] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the liquid inlet channel 1112 can be disposed near the edge of the dissolution chamber 1121, so that the dissolution layer 112 can come into contact with the dissolving liquid more quickly, thereby allowing the dissolution layer 112 to be dissolved more quickly.

[0054] It is understood that in some other embodiments, multiple liquid inlet channels 1112 can be provided. These multiple liquid inlet channels 1112 can be evenly distributed and connected to the dissolution chamber 1121. This also allows the dissolution layer 112 to come into contact with the dissolving liquid more quickly, thereby allowing the dissolution layer 112 to be dissolved more quickly.

[0055] In summary, the drug delivery balloon 110 provided in this application embodiment disposes of a drug carrier 113 on the surface of the balloon body 111 through a dissolution layer 112, and the drug carrier 113 is configured to include an insertion end 1131, which can be used to insert into an external medium, such as the endometrium. At the same time, the balloon body 111 is configured as an expandable structure. When the balloon body 111 is in an expanded state, the insertion end 1131 is exposed outside the balloon body 111, and when the balloon body 111 is in a contracted state, the insertion end 1131 is wrapped inside the balloon body 111. This design allows the insertion end 1131 of the drug carrier 113 to be encapsulated by the capsule 111 before reaching the designated location, preventing it from detaching. Upon reaching the designated location, the capsule 111 inflates to allow the insertion end 1131 to interact with the external medium. Furthermore, the dissolving layer 112 can be dissolved by the dissolving liquid injected into the capsule 111, causing it to expand. This allows the drug carrier 113 to detach from the capsule 111, solving the problem in existing technologies where drugs on balloons easily detach before administration, making it difficult to deliver the drug to the designated location for treatment and resulting in poor therapeutic effects. Applying the aforementioned drug delivery balloon 110 to the drug delivery device 10 can also solve the above problems. Similarly, applying the aforementioned drug delivery device 10 to the endoscope assembly 1 can also solve the above problems.

[0056] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0057] Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatus in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0058] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A drug-release balloon, characterized in that, include: The capsule has an internal cavity and a liquid inlet channel that connects the internal cavity to the outside. A dissolving layer disposed on the surface of the capsule and communicating with the liquid inlet channel; and a drug carrier having an insertion end and a connecting end, the connecting end being connected to the dissolving layer. The cyst is configured such that when the cyst is in an inflated state, the insertion end is exposed outside the cyst body, and when the cyst is in a contracted state, the insertion end is enclosed within the cyst body.

2. The drug-release balloon according to claim 1, characterized in that, The capsule includes a support portion and a winding portion that are connected to each other. The connecting end is connected to the support portion, and the winding portion has a deformable capability. When the capsule is in an inflated state, the insertion end is exposed outside the winding portion, and when the capsule is in a contracted state, the insertion end is wrapped inside the winding portion.

3. The drug-release balloon according to claim 2, characterized in that, The dissolving layer is connected to the connecting end and extends out to connect with the capsule. The dissolving layer, the connecting end, and the capsule together form a dissolving cavity, and the liquid inlet channel communicates with the dissolving cavity.

4. The drug-release balloon according to claim 3, characterized in that, The liquid inlet channel is located near the edge of the dissolution chamber.

5. The drug-release balloon according to claim 3, characterized in that, The liquid inlet channel is provided with multiple channels, which are evenly distributed and connected to the dissolution chamber.

6. The drug-release balloon according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The support portion is provided with an installation groove, and the drug carrier is disposed in the installation groove.

7. The drug-release balloon according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insertion end includes at least one conical structure.

8. A drug delivery device, characterized in that, include: The tube body and the drug delivery balloon as described in any one of claims 1-7, wherein the distal end of the tube body is in communication with the inner lumen and the distal end of the tube body is sealed to the inner lumen, and the tube body is used to inject liquid into the inner lumen.

9. The drug delivery device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The distal end of the tube has a constricted region, the radial dimension of which is smaller than the radial dimension of the proximal end of the tube, and the inner cavity is sealed to the constricted region.

10. An endoscope assembly, characterized in that, The invention includes an endoscope and a drug delivery device as described in any one of claims 8-9, wherein the endoscope has an instrument channel and the drug delivery device is detachably disposed within the instrument channel.

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