Inflatable Balloon Sealing for Cored Tissue Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods struggle to effectively manage and seal cored or punctured tissue, particularly in organs like the lungs, liver, pancreas, or gastrointestinal tract, to control bleeding and prevent air or fluid leakage.
Innovation Solution
The use of inflatable balloons with RF electrodes or thermal fluid, combined with fill materials like autologous blood and hemostatic agents, to seal the cored site and promote pneumostasis and hemostasis, while allowing for lung ventilation during the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a coring apparatus is used to remove tissue, then a pre-defined shaped tissue core can be removed in a repeatable manner, but bleeding and fluid leakage occur at the core site
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device is deployed immediately after coring while the tissue is still accessible and the cavity is fresh. The balloon is inflated to seal the cavity before significant bleeding or fluid leakage can occur, preventing harmful effects rather than addressing them after they start
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon acts as an intermediary element between the cored cavity and the surrounding tissue environment. It seals the cavity by abutting against the cavity walls, creating a barrier that prevents blood and fluid leakage while allowing the coring apparatus to maintain its precise shape-consistent tissue removal function
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the sealing device is inflated to seal the core cavity, then fluid and air leakage is minimized, but the device occupies space within the cavity
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device transitions from a deflated low-volume state during insertion to an inflated higher-volume state during sealing. This dynamic transformation allows the device to occupy minimal space during deployment while expanding to fill and seal the cavity when needed, then deflating again for removal
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon is constructed as a flexible thin-walled structure that can conform to the irregular shape of the cored cavity. This flexible shell design allows effective sealing with minimal material volume, as the balloon takes on the cavity's shape rather than requiring a rigid structure
3Reliability
If the balloon is inflated with high pressure to seal effectively, then sealing force increases, but risk of tissue damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates pressure monitoring and control mechanisms that provide feedback during balloon inflation. This allows the operator to maintain optimal sealing pressure while automatically preventing excessive pressure that could cause tissue damage, balancing sealing effectiveness with tissue safety
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing mechanism utilizes controlled changes in balloon pressure as the primary parameter for achieving sealing. By carefully modulating the pressure parameter - starting low and increasing gradually to an optimal level - the system achieves reliable sealing while avoiding the harmful effects of excessive pressure on surrounding tissue
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 method provides effective sealing of cored tissue sites, minimizing fluid and air leakage, promoting clotting, and maintaining lung function during the sealing process.
Implementation Method 1
causing the balloon to inflate using a fluid such that at least a portion of the inflated balloon abuts a wall of the cavity to seal at least a portion of the cavity
Implementation Method 2
The sealing device may comprise an inflatable balloon with an array of radio frequency (RF) electrodes configured to ablate and seal tissue
Implementation Method 3
The sealing device may comprise an inflatable balloon configured to seal tissue using a thermal fluid
Implementation Method 4
disposing a fill material adjacent the target site. The sealing device may minimize escape of the fill material from the target site
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for sealing tissue sites may comprise coring tissue at a target site such that a tissue core is removed from the target site thereby creating a core cavity at the target site and causing sealing of at least a portion of the target site.