Bioresorbable Urological Stent With Swelling Layer for Urethral Patency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Foley catheters used for managing post-operative complications from ablative Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia procedures are uncomfortable and pose risks such as discomfort, infection, and unintended removal, while existing absorbable stents do not adequately address these issues.
Innovation Solution
A bioresorbable urological stent with a scaffold structure and a chitosan sponge layer that expands hydroscopically to support healing and maintain urethra openness, reducing the need for catheters by providing hemostasis and promoting natural healing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a Foley catheter is used to manage post-operative complications, then bleeding and urinary irritation are controlled, but patient discomfort and infection risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a biodegradable stent that temporarily performs the protective function during the critical post-operative period, then naturally degrades and is eliminated by the body. This disposable approach avoids long-term discomfort and infection risks associated with permanent catheters while providing reliable temporary protection against bleeding and irritation.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent is designed to be self-removing through biodegradation. After fulfilling its protective function, the stent naturally breaks down and is absorbed by the body, eliminating the need for manual removal procedures and reducing patient discomfort associated with catheter maintenance and removal.
2Reliability
If a Foley catheter is placed for continuous bladder irrigation, then severe bleeding is managed, but patient mobility and quality of life deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The biodegradable stent provides temporary hemostatic support during the critical bleeding phase, then naturally degrades when no longer needed. This allows patients to regain full mobility and quality of life without the permanent constraints of a catheter, while still providing reliable bleeding management when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent's degradation rate is carefully controlled to match the healing timeline. By adjusting the biodegradation parameters, the stent provides structural support and bleeding control initially, then gradually disappears as tissue heals, allowing natural urination and improved quality of life without compromising hemorrhage control.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a traditional non-biodegradable stent is used to maintain urethra openness, then urethral patency is maintained, but long-term complications and removal difficulties arise
Solution Approach 1:
The stent is designed with controlled biodegradation properties that allow it to maintain urethral patency during the critical healing period, then naturally dissolve and be eliminated by the body. This eliminates long-term complications associated with permanent stents and avoids difficult removal procedures, while providing stable urethral support when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent's mechanical and chemical parameters are engineered to provide initial structural stability for urethral patency, then undergo controlled degradation over time. The degradation rate is tuned to match tissue healing, providing stable support initially then gradually disappearing to prevent long-term complications.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a catheter is used to prevent unintended removal, then positioning stability is improved, but patient comfort and autonomy are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The stent automatically secures itself through biodegradation and tissue integration during the healing process, then self-removes when healing is complete. This eliminates the need for patient management and maintains autonomy, while providing stable positioning during the period when stability is most critical for healing.
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 stent reduces patient discomfort and risk of complications by maintaining urethra openness, supporting hemostasis, and allowing voluntary urination, thereby improving quality of life and reducing the need for additional medical visits.
Implementation Method 1
the second layer is configured to hydroscopicly swell
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus including a first layer, where the first layer includes a scaffold structure forming an inner lumen along a length of the scaffold structure, and where the first layer includes a bioresorbable material; and a second layer on the first layer, where the second layer includes a bioresorbable material, where the second layer surrounds a majority of the first layer, and where the second layer is configured to hydroscopicly swell.