Catheter Spray Device for Microdroplet Surfactant Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for administering surfactant to premature babies with respiratory distress syndrome are invasive, painful, and can cause a drowning effect due to the use of liquid surfactant, requiring analgesia or sedation and involving the use of a laryngoscope, which is challenging and inefficient, especially for premature subjects.
Innovation Solution
A catheter system that delivers a medicinal liquid or powder in the form of microdroplets directly to the trachea without a laryngoscope, using a deformable body with a spray device and optic for image guidance, allowing for non-invasive insertion and synchronization with the respiratory cycle to minimize trauma and improve delivery efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If liquid surfactant is administered into the pulmonary tracts using existing methods, then the surfactant can be delivered to treat respiratory distress syndrome, but it causes a drowning effect due to the volume administered
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state and delivery parameters of the surfactant by converting it from liquid form to aerosol form. This transformation allows the same therapeutic quantity to be delivered in a dispersed state that prevents the drowning effect while maintaining treatment efficacy
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses pneumatic principles by employing compressed air to generate and deliver the aerosolized surfactant. The compressed air stream carries the surfactant particles through the catheter and into the trachea, enabling controlled delivery without liquid accumulation
2Measurement precision
If a laryngoscope is used to guide the catheter to the larynx entrance, then the catheter can be positioned correctly, but the procedure becomes invasive, painful, and difficult to carry out
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is designed with self-guiding features including a flexible distal end that can naturally navigate the anatomical pathways to reach the trachea. The catheter body itself provides the guidance function previously requiring external laryngoscope assistance, eliminating the need for complex positioning equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter incorporates a flexible distal end that can dynamically adapt to the anatomical structures during insertion. This flexibility allows the catheter to follow the natural contours of the pharynx and larynx, achieving accurate positioning through dynamic adaptation rather than rigid guidance
3Adaptability or versatility
If a catheter with two channels for gas and medicinal liquid is used, then nebulization can be achieved, but the catheter becomes very wide and cannot be introduced beyond the vocal chords in premature subjects
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the gas delivery and medicinal liquid delivery functions into a single integrated channel. The compressed air and surfactant are combined within the catheter lumen, allowing nebulization to occur at the catheter outlet without requiring separate channels, thus maintaining a small catheter diameter suitable for premature infants
4Quantity of substance
If nebulized medicinal liquid is administered into the pharyngeal region, then the surfactant can be delivered, but part of it passes through the esophagus reducing efficiency and increasing administration time
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of delivering surfactant into the pharynx and hoping it reaches the trachea, the invention inverts the approach by directly targeting the trachea through the vocal chords. The catheter is designed to pass through the vocal chords and deliver aerosolized surfactant directly into the tracheal lumen, ensuring the medication reaches its intended destination without esophageal diversion
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
Enables effective administration of surfactant or other medicinal agents directly to the lungs with reduced trauma and pain, eliminating the need for analgesia or sedation, and improving the efficiency of treatment by delivering microdroplets close to the pulmonary tracts, thus addressing the limitations of existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
a spray device for expelling a liquid or a powder introduced into the catheter in the form of microdroplets
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter for delivering a medicinal liquid or a powder in spray form into the trachea of a subject, includes a deformable body including a spray device for expelling a liquid or a powder introduced into the catheter as a spray, the body of the catheter being configured to generate an image of a zone in a longitudinal direction of the body.