Compliant Bladder Catheter for Ambulance Pressure Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Accurate pressure measurement within patient cavities and lumens is challenging, especially in emergency settings like ambulances, due to the need for sophisticated machinery and complications such as shivering and access issues during hypothermia treatments, which can lead to unsafe high pressures within patient cavities.
Innovation Solution
A pressure measurement system comprising a catheter with a compliant gas-filled bladder and pressure lumen, coupled to a pressure sensor and controller, which executes a priming sequence to maintain a partial inflation of the bladder for accurate pressure readings, allowing for easy insertion and operation in confined spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sophisticated pressure measurement system is used to ensure accurate pressure measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases making it difficult to place in ambulances
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure measurement system is segmented into a simple catheter with compliant bladder that can be inserted into patient cavities, separate from the monitoring equipment. This segmentation allows the measurement function to be placed at the patient site while keeping the overall system simple enough for ambulance deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical pressure measurement systems with a compliant bladder that passively responds to pressure changes, converting mechanical pressure into measurable volume changes that can be detected by simpler sensors.
2Temperature
If a large volume of hypothermic fluid is infused into the patient cavity to achieve therapeutic cooling, then temperature reduction is improved, but pressure inside the cavity increases creating safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The compliant bladder acts as a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors pressure changes in the patient cavity. When pressure reaches unsafe levels during fluid infusion, the bladder expands to indicate the need to slow or stop infusion, preventing dangerous pressure buildup while allowing therapeutic cooling to proceed.
3Measurement precision
If the compliant bladder is fully inflated to ensure accurate pressure measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty of insertion in confined spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The compliant bladder transitions from a deflated state during insertion to an inflated state during measurement. This dynamic transformation allows the catheter to be easily inserted in its compact deflated form, then expanded to its functional inflated form once positioned, optimizing both ease of operation and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The bladder is inflated after insertion rather than before, performing the inflation action at the optimal time when the catheter is already in position. This preliminary action sequencing ensures easy insertion followed by accurate measurement.
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 rapid and accurate pressure measurement within patient cavities, ensuring patient safety during hypothermia treatments by maintaining a consistent air volume for precise pressure monitoring, even in challenging environments.
Implementation Method 1
a compliant bladder disposed on the catheter, the compliant bladder being in communication with the pressure lumen
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for measuring pressure in a patient are provided which may include any number of features. One feature is a pressure measurement system comprising a pressure source, a compliant bladder, a catheter in communication with the pressure source, pressure sensors, and a controller configured to determine a pressure within the compliant bladder. The pressure measurement system can inflate the compliant bladder with gas or air to determine a pressure within a patient. In one embodiment, the pressure measurement system measures pressure within a peritoneal cavity.