Balloon Cannula System for Spine Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spine treatment systems lack real-time visualization capabilities and tactile sensation, making it difficult to accurately diagnose and treat intervertebral disc degeneration due to the complexity of the spine and anatomical elements in the epidural space, which can lead to inadvertent damage to nerve roots and reduced visibility.
Innovation Solution
A balloon cannula system with direct visualization capability is introduced, featuring a forward-looking expandable structure that creates a working space and allows for atraumatic dissection, enabling the delivery of therapy devices and pharmacological agents while minimizing tissue manipulation and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional percutaneous procedures are used to access the disc, then the procedure can be performed with minimal incision, but real-time visualization capability is lost and tactile sensation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The endoscope is inserted through the lumen of the balloon catheter, nesting the visualization device within the access device. This allows real-time visualization through the same minimal incision pathway, eliminating the need for separate large incisions while maintaining direct visual feedback during the procedure.
2Productivity
If instruments are inserted into the epidural space without direct visualization, then the procedure can be performed, but the risk of inadvertent damage to nerve roots increases
Solution Approach 1:
The endoscope provides real-time visual feedback from within the epidural space, allowing the surgeon to directly observe anatomical structures such as nerve roots during instrument manipulation. This immediate feedback enables adjustment of the procedure to avoid harmful contact with sensitive structures while maintaining procedural efficiency.
3Reliability
If anatomical elements in the epidural space are present, then the physiological environment is maintained, but visibility and instrument movement capabilities are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The natural anatomical structures in the epidural space are displaced laterally by the inflated balloon rather than being removed or destroyed. This mechanical substitution creates a clear visual pathway for the endoscope while preserving the physiological environment, allowing both visibility and tissue integrity to be maintained simultaneously.
4Reliability
If the epidural space is accessed without creating working space, then the natural anatomy is preserved, but the ability to perform therapeutic maneuvers is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon catheter can be dynamically inflated and deflated to create and release working space as needed. When inflated, it displaces epidural tissues laterally to create room for therapeutic maneuvers. When deflated, it minimizes its presence and allows natural anatomy to return to its original position, providing adaptability without permanent anatomical disruption.
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 balloon cannula system enhances visualization and tissue manipulation, allowing for precise treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration, disc augmentation, and nucleus decompression while reducing the risk of nerve root damage and improving diagnostic accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
expanding the expandable structure comprises atraumatically deforming a portion of the spinal dura mater to create a sufficient working space
Data Source
AI summary
Balloon cannula systems may be used for accessing and visualizing the spine and related methods of treatment, including a forward-looking balloon system for creating a working space and the balloon system having atraumatic dissection capability to allow visualization in spine. The devices and methods described may be used, for example, to perform annulus repair, herniated disc excision, and denervation of neurological tissue; to dispense pharmacological agents and/or cell or tissue therapy agents; to diagnose disc degeneration and bony degeneration, spinal stenosis, and nucleus decompression, and to perform disc augmentation.