Balloon Catheter with Automated Pump and Pressure Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices for local drug delivery, such as balloon catheters, lack effective control over the release and dosage of drugs, especially in repeated or sequential treatments, leading to insufficient drug retention in targeted areas due to systemic side effects and inconsistent administration.
Innovation Solution
A balloon catheter equipped with a controllable automatic pump, pressure sensors, and a control unit that regulates the pump based on pressure signals to ensure precise inflation, deflation, and fluid flow, allowing for accurate drug delivery and reduced human error.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If drugs are administered orally or intravenously, then systemic coverage is achieved, but undesired side effects occur in healthy tissues and organs
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon catheter delivers drug locally to the targeted tissue area through direct contact or perfusion, creating a localized high concentration of drug at the disease site while minimizing systemic distribution. This localized delivery approach resolves the contradiction by providing adequate drug coverage at the target site without causing widespread side effects in healthy tissues.
2Quantity of substance
If drugs are injected directly into tissue or delivered via catheter, then local concentration is improved, but the time period for efficacious action is too short due to washout
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon catheter maintains continuous contact with the target tissue during inflation, and can provide sustained drug delivery through controlled perfusion or elution mechanisms. The balloon remains in place for the duration of the treatment procedure, ensuring continuous drug exposure to the targeted area without interruption or washout, thereby extending the efficacious action period.
3Quantity of substance
If known catheters are used for local drug delivery, then local delivery capability is achieved, but control over release and dosage is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates pressure sensors that provide real-time feedback on balloon inflation status and tissue contact pressure. This feedback is processed by a control unit that automatically adjusts pump operation to maintain optimal balloon pressure and drug delivery conditions. The closed-loop control ensures precise dosage control and release timing, resolving the contradiction between delivery capability and operational control.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system automatically regulates drug delivery parameters based on sensor feedback without requiring continuous manual intervention. The system self-adjusts pump speed, balloon pressure, and delivery timing to maintain optimal conditions throughout the procedure, enabling precise control while simplifying operator workload.
4Device complexity
If manual control of balloon inflation is used, then device simplicity is maintained, but treatment consistency and precision are reduced due to human error
Solution Approach 1:
Pressure sensors continuously monitor balloon inflation pressure and provide feedback to the control unit, which automatically adjusts the pump to maintain predetermined pressure levels. This closed-loop control eliminates variability introduced by manual inflation techniques, ensuring consistent and reproducible treatment outcomes across different procedures and operators, while the automated control remains relatively simple to operate.
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 solution enables precise control over drug release and dosage, improving treatment quality by maintaining drug efficacy in targeted areas and reducing systemic side effects, while allowing for standardized and reproducible medical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor signal described represents the fluid pressure of the fluid pumped into the catheter balloon which is also an indicator for the balloon pressure itself
Implementation Method 2
a balloon catheter which is automatically inflated and deflated according to a preselected program of a controller
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention provides a medical device adapted for local drug delivery comprising a balloon catheter comprising means for a local delivery of a drug functionally connected to at least one controllable automatically driven pump, at least one pressure sensor, and a control unit for controlling the pump depending on a pressure signal of the pressure sensor.