Urinary Catheter with Visualization Stylet for Bladder Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional bladder catheters during surgery lack effective visualization and diagnostic capabilities, leading to potential bladder injuries and increased surgical time, as they do not provide clear visualization of the bladder's inner surface or allow for real-time diagnostic procedures.
Innovation Solution
A urinary catheter with an inflatable balloon and a visualization stylet that includes a light source, such as an LED chip, to illuminate the bladder, facilitating enhanced visualization of the bladder's inner surface and enabling diagnostic procedures like cystoscopy and therapeutic interventions, including the use of laser light for treatments like kidney stone fracturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional bladder catheter with inflatable balloon is used, then the catheter can be securely positioned in the bladder, but effective visualization and diagnostic capabilities are not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the traditional inflatable balloon catheter with a visualization stylet that includes a light source and imaging capability. The stylet is inserted through the catheter to provide endoscopic visualization of the bladder interior, merging secure positioning with diagnostic visualization functions in a single system.
Solution Approach 2:
The visualization stylet acts as an intermediary device that transmits light and images through the catheter structure. The stylet includes a light source that illuminates the bladder inner surface and an imaging system that captures and transmits visual information, enabling remote visualization without requiring direct exposure of the bladder interior.
2Productivity
If traditional bladder catheter is used, then surgical procedure can be performed, but real-time diagnostic procedures cannot be performed
Solution Approach 1:
The visualization stylet enables continuous real-time imaging during the surgical procedure. The light source continuously illuminates the bladder interior and the imaging system continuously captures images, allowing the surgeon to perform diagnostic procedures at any point during surgery without interrupting the flow of operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter system is designed to serve multiple functions: secure bladder positioning via the inflatable balloon, real-time visualization via the stylet's imaging system, and diagnostic procedures. This multi-functional design allows a single device to support both surgical and diagnostic needs throughout the procedure.
3Ease of operation
If traditional bladder catheter is used, then bladder drainage can be achieved, but clear visualization of bladder inner surface is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The visualization stylet serves as an intermediary light transmission medium. It includes a light source that emits illumination and optical elements that guide the light through the catheter structure to illuminate the bladder inner surface, providing clear visualization while maintaining the drainage function.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter system is segmented into functional components: the outer catheter body for drainage and positioning, the inner visualization stylet for illumination and imaging. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together as an integrated system.
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 solution provides improved visualization of the bladder's inner surface, reducing the risk of injury during surgery, allowing for real-time diagnostic procedures, and simplifying cystoscopy, thereby decreasing surgical time and making procedures more accessible for surgeons.
Implementation Method 1
illuminating a light source through the inflatable member to illuminate the inner surface of the bladder
Implementation Method 2
inflating the inflatable member inside of the bladder
Implementation Method 3
The beneficial agent can include a therapeutic dose of light in a preselected wavelength band at a preselected intensity. The light includes laser light or incoherent light. In some implementations, the method can include fracturing a kidney stone using the laser light.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides diagnostic methods for evaluating a urinary bladder and methods of enhancing the visibility of the bladder. An illustrative implementation includes introducing urinary catheter having a proximal end and a distal end into a patient's urinary bladder by way of the urethra, the urinary catheter including an outer tubular member including an inflatable balloon disposed thereon, and a visualization stylet that is slidably disposable within a passage defined in the outer tubular member. The method further includes inflating the inflatable member inside of the bladder, inflating the bladder with a liquid to enhance visualization of an inner surface of the bladder, illuminating a light source through the inflatable member to illuminate the inner surface of the bladder, and visualizing an inner portion of the bladder using the visualization stylet.