Flow Restrictors in Catheter Anchors for Balanced Infusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable infusion systems for delivering therapeutic agents to multiple body locations are complex and invasive, requiring multiple pumps and catheters, which increase costs and invasiveness, and lack effective flow balancing between multiple target sites.
Innovation Solution
The use of flow restrictors integrated into anchors or catheters to balance fluid flow to multiple target sites, allowing a single fluid source to distribute fluid evenly through multiple delivery catheters or lumens, with flow restrictors positioned at branch points or within anchors for ease of access and replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate infusion systems are used to deliver therapeutic agents to multiple target sites, then each target site receives adequate fluid flow, but the system complexity and patient invasiveness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple infusion systems into a single integrated system where one pump delivers fluid through a multi-lumen catheter that branches to multiple target sites. Flow restrictors are integrated at the anchor to balance flow distribution, eliminating the need for multiple separate pumps and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliable fluid delivery to all target sites.
Solution Approach 2:
The single pump and catheter system performs multiple functions by delivering therapeutic agents to multiple target sites simultaneously. The anchor with integrated flow restrictors serves as a universal distribution point that balances flow to different branches, allowing one system to replace multiple specialized systems.
2Reliability
If multiple separate infusion systems are used to deliver therapeutic agents to multiple target sites, then each target site receives adequate fluid flow, but the invasiveness and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces patient invasiveness by combining multiple infusion systems into a single system with one pump and one multi-lumen catheter. This single system achieves the same therapeutic goal of delivering drugs to multiple target sites without requiring multiple surgical implantations, thereby reducing overall invasiveness and associated costs.
3Reliability
If flow restrictors are positioned within delivery catheters, then flow balancing is achieved, but access for maintenance and replacement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts flow restrictors from the delivery catheters and relocates them to the anchor, which is positioned at a more accessible location near the patient's body surface. This allows clinicians to easily access, inspect, maintain, or replace flow restrictors without having to manipulate deep intracranial catheters, while the flow restrictors continue to perform their function of balancing fluid distribution to multiple target sites.
4Device complexity
If a single fluid source is used to supply multiple delivery catheters, then system complexity is reduced, but flow balancing between multiple target sites becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces flow restrictors as intermediary components at the anchor to mediate flow distribution from the single fluid source to multiple delivery catheters. These flow restrictors act as flow-balancing elements that ensure each target site receives appropriate fluid flow, solving the flow balancing challenge while maintaining the simplicity of a single-pump system.
Data Source
AI summary
Infusion catheter systems and methods are described herein that incorporate flow restrictors to balance flow to multiple target sites serviced by delivery catheters. Fluids may be delivered to the target sites using multiple separate delivery catheters or through multiple separate lumens located in the same delivery catheter. Flow balancing may be performed between multiple catheters that are fed from a single fluid source, between multiple separate lumens in a single delivery catheter that are also fed from a single fluid source. Multiple catheters may be fluidly connected to one or more flow restrictors housed within an anchor or in another embodiment, a catheter may be fluidly connected to a restrictor housed in one anchor and another catheter fluidly connected to a second anchor wherein each of the restrictors is also fluidly connected to a single fluid source. Two or more anchors may be fed from a single source, with each anchor containing one or more flow restrictors that feed one, two or more delivery catheters that are attached to each of the anchors (i.e., each anchor may be attached to one, two, three, or more delivery catheters).