Balloon Dilation Device With Sensor Coil For Direct Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing balloon dilation devices for sinus and Eustachian tube dilation require multiple invasive steps and rely on external light guidance for precise placement, lacking direct tracking capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A balloon dilation device equipped with a sensor coil that captures an electromagnetic field to determine its position and orientation, allowing direct tracking and reducing the need for external light guidance, and featuring a malleable tip region for precise navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a balloon dilation device uses external light guidance for placement, then the surgeon can follow the guide wire through the skin, but the device lacks direct tracking capabilities inside the body requiring multiple invasive steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces external optical guidance systems with an electromagnetic tracking system. A sensor coil integrated into the balloon dilation device detects electromagnetic fields generated by an external field generator, enabling direct tracking of the device's position and orientation inside the body without requiring multiple invasive placement steps or external light guidance through the skin.
2Productivity
If a balloon dilation device is equipped with a sensor coil for electromagnetic field capture, then real-time position and orientation tracking is enabled, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor coil serves multiple functions: it acts as both a structural component of the catheter and a tracking sensor. The coil is integrated into the existing catheter design, allowing it to function as part of the electrical circuit while simultaneously serving as an electromagnetic sensor for position tracking, thereby minimizing additional structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor coil is constructed using flexible wire formulations that can be easily integrated into the soft, flexible catheter structure. This allows the coil to conform to the catheter's flexible nature while maintaining its electromagnetic sensing capabilities, avoiding the need for rigid or complex sensor assemblies.
3Ease of operation
If guide wires with light sources at the tip are used for emitting light visible through skin, then the surgeon can locate the sinus cavity, but the guide wire and balloon catheter cannot be tracked inside the human body
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces optical tracking methods with electromagnetic field-based tracking. Instead of relying on light emission that cannot penetrate or track inside the body, the sensor coil detects electromagnetic fields to provide continuous real-time information about the device's position and orientation within the body cavities.
Solution Approach 2:
The electromagnetic field acts as an intermediary medium for tracking. The field generator creates an electromagnetic field that penetrates the body, and the sensor coil on the device interacts with this field to transmit position information back to the external system, enabling indirect but accurate tracking of the device inside the body.
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
Enhances surgical precision by enabling real-time tracking and reducing the number of invasive steps, improving surgical efficiency and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one sensor coil is configured for capturing an electromagnetic field and for providing a sensor coil signal representing position and orientation of the sensor coil
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention related to a balloon dilation device having a distal end and a proximal end. The balloon dilation device comprises a handle, a shaft, an inflatable balloon and at least one sensor coil. The handle extends from the proximal end of the balloon dilation device towards the distal end of the balloon dilation device. The shaft extends from the distal end of the balloon dilation device towards the proximal end of the balloon dilation device, said shaft having an inflation lumen. The inflatable balloon is fixedly arranged at the shaft. The balloon is fluidly connected to the inflation lumen such that the balloon can be inflated and deflated by feeding a fluid through the inflation lumen into the balloon. The at least one sensor coil is arranged at the shaft. The at least one sensor coil is configured for capturing an electromagnetic field and for providing a sensor coil signal representing position and orientation of the sensor coil.