Bioactive-Coated Prostate Biopsy Needle for Infection Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current prostate biopsy needles lead to complications such as infectious and bleeding issues due to the transfer of intestinal bacteria during transrectal biopsies, with existing antibiotic prophylaxis being insufficient and causing side effects.
Innovation Solution
A prostate biopsy needle with a bioactive layer coated on its surface, allowing for the controlled release of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antihemorrhagic agents directly to the prostate, reducing the need for systemic antibiotics and minimizing complications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If transrectal prostate biopsy is performed using known needles, then tissue samples can be collected from the prostate, but intestinal bacteria are transferred into the blood and prostate causing infectious complications
Solution Approach 1:
The needle surface is pre-coated with antimicrobial agents (antibiotics, antiseptics, or antimicrobial peptides) before the biopsy procedure. This preliminary protective layer prevents bacterial adhesion and transfer during needle insertion through the rectum, blocking the infection pathway before it can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The antimicrobial coating acts as an intermediary barrier between the intestinal bacteria in the rectum and the prostate tissue. This protective layer intercepts and neutralizes harmful bacteria, preventing them from entering the bloodstream and prostate during the biopsy procedure.
2Reliability
If oral fluoroquinolone antibiotics are administered for prophylaxis, then infectious complications are reduced, but bacterial resistance increases and severe side effects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The infection prevention function is extracted from the systemic antibiotic administration approach and localized to the needle surface coating. By applying antimicrobial agents directly to the needle, the need for systemic fluoroquinolone prophylaxis is eliminated, avoiding both bacterial resistance development and severe side effects while maintaining effective infection prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using systemic antibiotics that affect the entire body, the antimicrobial protection is applied locally only to the needle surface that contacts bacteria during insertion. This localized approach provides effective infection prevention at the critical interface while avoiding unnecessary exposure to systemic antibiotics and their associated risks.
3Reliability
If multiple antibiotics are used simultaneously for prophylaxis, then infection coverage is broadened, but significant side effects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The needle surface is coated with composite antimicrobial formulations that may combine multiple antimicrobial agents with different mechanisms of action. This composite coating provides broad-spectrum protection against various bacterial strains while using lower concentrations of each agent, reducing side effects compared to high-dose systemic antibiotic combinations.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If transperineal prostate biopsy is performed to avoid infections, then infectious complications are reduced, but epidural or general analgesia is required increasing patient burden and costs
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of changing the biopsy approach from transrectal to transperineal to avoid infections, the solution inverts the problem by maintaining the simpler transrectal approach but adding antimicrobial protection to the needle surface. This preserves the advantages of transrectal biopsy (no need for epidural/general analgesia, lower cost, simpler procedure) while eliminating the infection risk.
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 bioactive-coated needle effectively delivers antibiotics and other agents directly to the prostate, reducing infectious and bleeding complications, potentially eliminating the need for pre-procedural antibiotics and minimizing side effects, while providing broad-spectrum antimicrobial protection.
Implementation Method 1
allowing for the controlled release of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antihemorrhagic agents directly to the prostate
Data Source
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AI summary
Present invention solved the problem of complications occurred during transrectal prostate biopsy, mostly infectious and bleeding complications. Thus, the prostate biopsy needle according to the invention comprising a cannula (1), a pointed stylet (2), which is mounted slidably in the cannula (1), handles (3a, 3 b) for the biopsy gun, which are located on the back side of the needle. An inner surface (4) of the cannula (1) and / or an outer surface (5) of the cannula (1) and / or a surface of the stylet (2) is coated with at least one active layer (6) comprising a biologically active agent, wherein the active layer (6) preferably forms a biodegradable structure enabling controlled release of the biologically active agent.