Dual Double Balloon Catheter for Targeted Radiation and Fluid Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices fail to effectively deliver a targeted radiation dose to specific areas within the body while simultaneously removing fluids and materials, posing challenges in treating localized cancers like esophageal and stomach cancers without damaging surrounding tissues.
Innovation Solution
A dual double balloon catheter with multiple lumens and inflatable balloons, allowing for independent control of balloon size and inflation, which can deliver radioactive wires or therapeutic agents to targeted areas and remove fluids, is designed for precise treatment and positioning in areas such as the esophagus and stomach.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single catheter is used for both radiation delivery and fluid removal, then device complexity is reduced, but treatment precision and targeting accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into multiple functional segments: a first balloon for radiation delivery and a second balloon for fluid removal. Each balloon is controlled by separate lumens and can be independently inflated/deflated, allowing precise positioning and independent operation of each function without interfering with the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter system integrates multiple functions into a single device: radiation delivery through the first balloon, fluid removal through the second balloon, and positioning control through multiple lumens. This multi-functional design allows one catheter to perform what previously required multiple separate devices.
2Measurement precision
If multiple balloons are used for positioning and treatment, then treatment precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs a nested structure where multiple lumens are contained within the catheter body, and multiple balloons are positioned along the catheter length. The first and second balloons can be independently controlled through dedicated lumens, allowing complex positioning and treatment functions while maintaining a relatively compact overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The balloons are designed to be dynamically inflatable and deflatable through the lumens, allowing the catheter to transition between different configurations during the procedure. This dynamic capability enables precise positioning and adaptation to different anatomical structures without requiring a permanently complex structure.
3Reliability
If radioactive wires are delivered through balloon lumens, then treatment effectiveness improves, but risk of damage to surrounding tissues increases
Solution Approach 1:
The radiation delivery system is localized to the first balloon, which can be precisely positioned at the treatment site. The radioactive wires are contained within the balloon lumen and deliver radiation only to the targeted area, while the second balloon can be used to remove fluids or provide counter-pressure to protect surrounding tissues.
Solution Approach 2:
The first balloon acts as an intermediary that contains and directs the radioactive wires to the precise treatment location. The second balloon serves as a protective intermediary that can remove excess fluids or provide mechanical support to protect surrounding healthy tissues from radiation exposure.
Data Source
AI summary
A dual double balloon catheter includes a catheter having a proximal end portion, a central portion and a distal end portion, and a secondary treatment balloon for a catheter. The catheter includes a plurality of lumens within the catheter extending from the proximal end portion, a plurality of inflatable balloons positioned in the central portion and a secondary treatment balloon communicatively associated with the distal end portion of the catheter, and the balloons and the secondary treatment balloon being communicatively connected with a corresponding one of the plurality of lumens to selectively inflate/deflate the corresponding inflatable balloon or to receive a radioactive dose or a therapeutic agent for a treatment.