Dehydrated Bowel Prep Composition for Colonoscopy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current colonic preparations for colonoscopies often result in nausea and vomiting, poor cleansing of the right colon, and significant economic and health consequences due to inadequate preparation, with existing solutions having contraindications and poor patient tolerance.
Innovation Solution
A dehydrated composition comprising polyethylene glycol (PEG), sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, dimethicone, and flavoring agents, reconstituted with water and heated to 60°C, which improves gastric emptying, reduces foam formation, and enhances patient tolerance by allowing a more palatable and fractionated intake.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cold or iced liquids are taken to improve tolerance, then patient comfort is improved, but gastric emptying speed is significantly reduced leading to nausea and vomiting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the colonic preparation from cold/iced to warm (37-42°C), matching body temperature. This parameter change simultaneously improves gastric emptying speed (resolving the vomiting issue) and maintains patient comfort (as the warm temperature is more tolerable than cold), thereby resolving the technical contradiction between tolerance and gastric emptying speed.
2Reliability
If dimethicone is added to prevent foam formation, then colon visualization is improved, but the composition becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes dimethicone serve multiple functions: it acts as an anti-foaming agent to improve colon visualization during endoscopy, and simultaneously functions as a lubricant to facilitate smoother passage of the preparation through the gastrointestinal tract. This multi-functionality justifies the addition of dimethicone while maximizing its utility, resolving the contradiction between visualization quality and composition complexity.
3Ease of operation
If fractionated intake is implemented to improve acceptability, then patient compliance is improved, but the preparation process takes more time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the total colonic preparation dose into multiple smaller fractions taken at different times (e.g., morning and evening doses). This segmentation improves patient acceptability by reducing the burden of each individual dose and allowing better integration with daily routines, while the flexible timing schedule minimizes the total time loss by allowing patients to take doses during natural breaks in their day.
4Productivity
If sodium phosphate is used for rapid colon emptying, then preparation effectiveness is improved, but vomiting incidence increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dimethicone as an intermediary substance that modifies the physical properties of the colonic preparation. Dimethicone reduces surface tension and prevents foam formation, which in turn reduces gastric irritation and vomiting. This intermediary allows the use of effective laxatives like sodium phosphate while mitigating their harmful side effects, thereby resolving the contradiction between emptying efficiency and vomiting incidence.
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 composition effectively cleanses the colon, reduces nausea and vomiting, and improves patient acceptance by allowing a more comfortable and effective preparation process, with increased tolerance and effectiveness compared to conventional preparations.
Implementation Method 1
The addition of simeticone to a colonic preparation by PEG was proposed as early as 1988. It improved the quality of the preparation and above all it prevented the formation of foam in the colon.
Implementation Method 2
at least one osmotic agent promoting water retention and osmotic pressure in the colon
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a dehydrated composition (A), to be reconstituted with water, comprising: (a) at least one compound capable of generating intestinal contractions selected from sodium salts, in particular sodium sulfate, sodium picosulfates, sodium phosphates; magnesium sulfates; potassium sulfates; polyethylene glycol (PEG), alone or in mixture; (b) at least one osmotic agent promoting water retention and osmotic pressure in the colon, for example sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium citrate, alone or in mixture; (c) dimethicone or simethicone, preferably dimethicone; (d) flavoring agents selected from vegetables, potato, fruits, spices, sugar substitute, flavorings, meat stock (in particular poultry stock), plant extracts (in particular extract of mint, chamomile, verbena, orange blossom and/or linden blossom), alone or in mixture.