Balloon Catheter Delivery of Bone Reinforcing Materials With UV Curing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone cement injection devices are invasive, difficult to control in real-time, and can cause complications such as leakage and thermal issues, making it challenging to deliver reinforcing materials effectively to weakened or fractured bones.
Innovation Solution
A balloon catheter system with a light guide is used to deliver a reinforcing mixture, allowing for minimally invasive delivery and precise control over the injection volume and rate, using a UV-curable adhesive that hardens upon activation by a light source, ensuring minimal thermal impact and precise alignment of bone fragments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high pressure delivery source is used to inject bone cement, then injection speed and productivity are improved, but thermal impact and potential for complications increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional high-pressure mechanical injection system with a light-activated chemical curing system. Instead of using a spring-loaded or screw ram that forces cement through high pressure, the invention uses a light guide that delivers UV light to activate photopolymerization of the bone cement, allowing controlled delivery without excessive mechanical pressure and associated thermal effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the delivery mechanism from pressure-driven to light-driven. The bone cement composition is modified to include photoinitiators that respond to UV light, transforming the delivery parameter from mechanical pressure to optical energy activation, thereby eliminating the thermal issues associated with high-pressure injection.
2Ease of operation
If traditional bone cement injection device is used, then delivery capability is achieved, but control precision and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a light guide that provides real-time feedback through light transmission. The operator can observe the progression of light through the bone cement in the cartridge, providing visual feedback on the curing process and delivery status, enabling precise control and immediate detection of potential leakage issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide acts as an intermediary between the operator and the bone cement delivery process. It provides visual information about the cement's state and delivery progress, enabling the operator to maintain precise control and prevent complications such as leakage by observing the curing process in real-time.
3Productivity
If invasive injection method is used to deliver reinforcing material, then delivery effectiveness is improved, but tissue damage and complications increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces invasive mechanical injection methods with a minimally invasive light-activated delivery system. The bone cement is delivered through a simple cartridge and needle assembly, and curing is achieved through UV light activation rather than high-pressure mechanical injection, reducing tissue trauma while maintaining delivery effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The light guide serves as a non-invasive intermediary that delivers the curing energy without physical contact with the tissue. UV light penetrates through the bone cement and activates polymerization without requiring invasive mechanical force, thereby eliminating tissue damage associated with traditional high-pressure injection while maintaining effective delivery.
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 system enables safe, controlled, and efficient delivery of reinforcing materials to fractured bones, minimizing complications and ensuring proper bone alignment and healing orientation without excessive heat or pressure, facilitating faster recovery.
Implementation Method 1
using a UV-curable adhesive that hardens upon activation by a light source
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and methods for delivery of reinforcing materials to a weakened or fractured bone is disclosed. An apparatus for delivering a reinforcing mixture to a bone including a tube having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, wherein the tube has at least one inner lumen capable of allowing a bone reinforcing mixture to pass therethrough; a balloon engaging the tube wherein the balloon expands from a substantially deflated state to a substantially inflated state upon the bone reinforcing mixture entering the balloon; and at least one light guide extending through the tube into the balloon to guide a light into the balloon.