Agent Pellet Delivery Through a Lumen Without Clogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices for delivering therapeutic agents, such as hemostatic agents, face challenges with inconsistent dosing, clogging, and difficulty in reaching deep treatment sites within the gastrointestinal tract, requiring multiple steps and actuations.
Innovation Solution
A medical device configured to load a therapeutic agent, separate it into smaller particles using a force applicator, and deliver it via a lumen with a pressurized fluid, utilizing mechanisms like gears, springs, and wedges to ensure consistent and targeted delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mechanical systems are used to deliver hemostatic agent, then the agent can be delivered to remote sites, but the system requires numerous steps or actuations and may not achieve desired delivery rate or dosage consistency
Solution Approach 1:
The agent is pre-divided into multiple individual pellets, each containing a precise predetermined dose. This segmentation allows the system to deliver consistent dosages by simply advancing a controlled number of pellets through the catheter, eliminating the need for complex dosing mechanisms and reducing the number of actuations required.
Solution Approach 2:
The therapeutic agent is pre-loaded into the catheter in pellet form with predetermined dosages before the procedure. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex real-time dosing mechanisms during the procedure, reducing both the number of steps required and ensuring dosage consistency through precise manufacturing of pre-dosed pellets.
2Reliability
If mechanical systems are used to deliver agent, then delivery can be achieved, but the agent may clog portions of the delivery device
Solution Approach 1:
The agent is divided into discrete pellets rather than delivered as a continuous stream or bulk material. This segmentation prevents clogging by ensuring that individual pellets can pass through the catheter lumen without obstructing the flow path, while still achieving reliable delivery through controlled advancement of the pellets.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex mechanical pushing mechanisms with a simpler approach where pellets are advanced through the catheter using fluid pressure or peristaltic action. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity and minimizes the risk of mechanical components causing or experiencing clogs.
3Length of moving object
If the agent is delivered in large form, then the dosage can be controlled, but the agent may not reach treatment sites deep within the GI tract
Solution Approach 1:
The agent is formulated as small pellets that can navigate the tortuous anatomy of the GI tract and reach deep treatment sites. The segmented pellet structure maintains sufficient size to contain the therapeutic dose while being small enough to pass through narrow lumens and deliver to distal locations reliably.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device achieves consistent and controlled delivery of therapeutic agents, reducing clogging and ensuring precise dosing, even at remote treatment sites within the body.
Implementation Method 1
a force applicator within the housing and adjacent the enclosure, and a drive mechanism for moving the agent toward the force applicator
Implementation Method 2
providing a pressurized fluid to the lumen, and delivering the agent towards the force applicator via the drive mechanism
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A medical device comprising a housing defining at least one enclosure for storing agent in a first form, a force applicator within the housing and adjacent the enclosure, a drive mechanism for moving the agent toward the force applicator, wherein the force applicator defines a surface for applying a force to the agent to separate the agent into particles smaller than a size of the first form, and wherein the device defines a lumen for receiving the particles from the force applicator and for receiving a pressurized fluid to propel the particles through the lumen.