Angle-Adjustable Visual Bronchial Blocker for Fiberoptic-Free Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bronchial blockers require fiberoptic bronchoscope guidance for position confirmation, leading to complex disinfection procedures and potential cross-infection risks, and they are either stiff or require fiberoptic guidance, causing discomfort and inefficiency in clinical operations.
Innovation Solution
A disposable angle-adjustable visual bronchial blocker with a bronchial catheter comprising a stiff main section, a soft flexible section, an inflatable air bag, and a front-facing camera assembly, along with control lines and a handle for adjusting the catheter's angle, allowing direct bronchus entry without fiberoptic guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fiberoptic bronchoscope is used for guidance and position confirmation, then the bronchial blocker can be accurately positioned, but the disinfection becomes complicated and cross-infection risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the guidance function from the fiberoptic bronchoscope and integrates it directly into the bronchial blocker catheter through an embedded camera system. This eliminates the need for separate fiberoptic equipment, allowing accurate positioning while avoiding the complex disinfection requirements of reusable bronchoscopes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable bronchial blocker catheter with an integrated camera system. The disposable nature eliminates disinfection complexity entirely, as the device is discarded after single use, while still providing accurate position confirmation through the camera.
2Ease of operation
If a stiff bronchial blocker is used, then the catheter can be adjusted in direction to enter the bronchus, but it causes postoperative sore throat and airway injury
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making only the necessary portion of the catheter stiff (the control section for direction adjustment) while keeping the insertion portion and distal tip soft and flexible. This localized stiffness provides directional control capability without causing airway injury or sore throat throughout the entire catheter length.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic characteristics by allowing the catheter to transition from a relatively straight configuration during insertion to a bent configuration during positioning. The soft flexible section can dynamically adjust its shape under external manipulation to reach the target bronchus while maintaining patient comfort.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a soft bronchial blocker is used, then patient comfort is improved, but fiberoptic bronchoscope guidance is required which reduces operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the soft flexible catheter design with an integrated camera system into a single unit. This combination maintains patient comfort through the soft material while eliminating the need for separate fiberoptic guidance equipment, thereby improving clinical operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the soft bronchial blocker to self-guide through the airway using its integrated camera system. The camera provides real-time visual feedback that allows the operator to position the soft catheter accurately without requiring external fiberoptic bronchoscope assistance, thus maintaining both comfort and efficiency.
4Measurement precision
If reusable fiberoptic bronchoscope is used for guidance, then position confirmation is achieved, but disinfection time and operational efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the reusable fiberoptic bronchoscope with a disposable integrated camera system. The disposable nature eliminates disinfection time entirely, as the device is discarded after single use, while still providing accurate position confirmation through the camera functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable angle-adjustable visual bronchial blocker, including a bronchial blocking catheter which is divided into a stiff main catheter section (7) and a soft flexible section (3). An inflatable air bag (2) is arranged outside of the soft flexible section (3), and a camera assembly (1) is arranged at a front end of the soft flexible section (3). An interior of the bronchial blocking catheter includes a forward flexion control line (4), a backward extension control line (5), a ventilation lumen (6), an inflation line and a camera video line. A control handle (14) is arranged at a tail end of the bronchial blocking catheter, and an angle control disk (15) is arranged on a side face of the control handle (14). A front opening of the ventilation lumen (6) is formed in a front end face of the camera assembly (1).