Balloon Catheter Control Device for Air Bubble Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air bubbles within a balloon catheter can cause issues during medical procedures, as they are difficult to detect and manage, particularly near the distal end of the catheter, where they can interfere with the inflation and deflation process.
Innovation Solution
A control device that uses image data from imaging the luminal organ to determine the presence of air bubbles in the expansion medium within the balloon, allowing for immediate decompression before a preset timing to prevent complications during balloon inflation and deflation operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If air bubbles are present in the expansion medium during balloon inflation, then the balloon can still be inflated, but air bubbles may remain inside the balloon causing procedural complications
Solution Approach 1:
The control device continuously acquires image data during the pressurization operation and uses it to determine whether air bubbles are mixed in the expansion medium. This real-time feedback allows the system to monitor bubble presence and automatically adjust the decompression timing accordingly, ensuring reliable bubble-free operation while maintaining efficient inflation speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system determines the presence of air bubbles during the pressurization operation before the preset decompression timing occurs. By performing this detection in advance, the system can proactively adjust the decompression timing to prevent air bubbles from remaining in the balloon, rather than reacting after bubbles have already caused problems.
2Reliability
If the pump performs decompression operation before preset timing when air bubbles are detected, then air bubbles can be removed, but the inflation process is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The control device uses real-time image data acquisition and analysis to detect air bubbles during pressurization. This feedback mechanism allows the system to make intelligent decisions about when to perform decompression operations, balancing the need to remove air bubbles with the desire to maintain continuous efficient inflation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs air bubble detection during the pressurization operation itself, before the preset decompression timing. This preliminary detection allows the system to plan and execute decompression operations at optimal moments, minimizing interruptions to the overall inflation process while ensuring air bubbles are removed.
3Measurement precision
If image data acquisition is performed continuously during pressurization operation, then air bubbles can be detected early, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device incorporates continuous image data acquisition and analysis as a feedback mechanism to detect air bubbles during pressurization. This feedback loop enables accurate real-time detection of air bubbles without requiring complex additional hardware, as the system uses existing imaging capabilities in a controlled feedback-based manner.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device performs multiple functions: it controls pump operations, acquires image data, analyzes the image data to detect air bubbles, and adjusts decompression timing based on bubble presence. By making the control device multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated systems for each function, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high detection accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A control device configured to control a pressurization and decompression operation of a pump configured to inflate and deflate a balloon by pressurizing and decompressing the balloon attached to a distal portion of a catheter through the catheter inserted into a luminal organ of a patient includes a control unit configured to acquire image data obtained by imaging the luminal organ at least while the pump is caused to perform a pressurization operation, determine whether air bubbles are mixed in an expansion medium injected into the balloon in the pressurization operation with reference to the acquired image data, and when it is determined that the air bubbles are mixed, cause the pump to perform a decompression operation before a preset decompression timing.