Aspiration Flow Current for Collateral Pathway Occlusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating emphysema through minimally invasive lung volume reduction are hindered by collateral ventilation pathways, which allow re-inflation of treated areas, and existing techniques for blocking these pathways are poorly controlled and invasive.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of an isolation catheter to create a convective flow current through collateral pathways, allowing an agent to be delivered and deposited within these pathways to occlude them, while excess agent is aspirated out, using a vacuum and agent delivery catheter system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an agent is injected to close collateral channels using a one-way valve, then the collateral channels can be blocked, but the agent deposition is poorly controlled and spreads to unwanted areas
Solution Approach 1:
A bronchial valve is introduced as an intermediary device to control air flow direction. The valve creates a one-way flow path that directs the agent from the feeding airway into the collateral channels while preventing backward flow, thereby improving agent deposition control and preventing spread to unwanted areas
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes pneumatic pressure differentials created by the bronchial valve to control agent flow. The valve maintains positive pressure in the target airway during injection, forcing the agent through the collateral channels while preventing retrograde flow, thus achieving precise agent delivery
2Manufacturing precision
If a bronchial one-way valve is used to control air flow path, then agent deposition can be directed into collateral channels, but the technique requires inconvenient diagnostic protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The bronchial valve is implanted preliminarily to establish controlled air flow paths before agent injection. This preliminary action creates a reliable one-way flow system that simplifies subsequent agent delivery and eliminates the need for complex diagnostic protocols to assess collateral channel presence
3Manufacturing precision
If vacuum is applied to create convective flow current, then agent can be delivered and deposited within collateral pathways, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum application and agent delivery functions are merged into a single integrated catheter system. The catheter simultaneously creates convective flow current through vacuum aspiration and delivers the agent through the same flow path, simplifying the overall system while achieving precise agent deposition in collateral pathways
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
This approach effectively blocks collateral pathways, preventing re-inflation of treated lung regions and allowing for safer and more controlled minimally invasive lung volume reduction procedures.
Implementation Method 1
applying vacuum to the target area via the catheter to establish a convective flow current from a neighboring lung compartment (NLC) through the collateral pathway (if any) into the isolated target area and the catheter
Implementation Method 2
The entrained substance enters and lodges in the collateral pathway(s), while excess agent remains entrained with the convective flow current through the collateral pathway and is typically conducted out of the body through the aspiration catheter
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for increasing the flow resistance of collateral pathways in the lung by employing aspiration to establish an artificial convective flow current between compartments in the lung in order to entrain and deliver a clogging agent preferentially to the collateral pathways. The method may sometimes be performed after lung has been assessed for the presence of collateral pathways.