Elastic Implant Core Wire Delivery for Lung Volume Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for pulmonary emphysema, such as lung volume reduction surgery and interventional therapies, face limitations including high risks, complications, and limited effectiveness, with existing elastic coil implants requiring a delivery sheath that can cause pneumothorax and being difficult to insert into small-diameter airways, leading to incomplete volume reduction and prolonged surgery times.
Innovation Solution
A lung volume reduction elastic implant and device that uses a core wire for direct delivery without a sheath, integrating channel building and implantation processes, featuring a tubular design with shape memory characteristics and cutout grooves for flexibility, and an elastic film to reduce tissue injury and improve precision and speed of the procedure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a delivery sheath is used to deliver the elastic coil implant, then the implant can be delivered through the bronchus, but the delivery sheath may injure the inner wall of the bronchus and cause pneumothorax
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the delivery sheath from the system entirely, using only a core wire to deliver and deploy the elastic coil implant. This extraction of the harmful delivery sheath eliminates the source of bronchial wall injury and pneumothorax risk while maintaining the ability to deliver the implant through the bronchus using the smaller core wire.
2Ease of operation
If a delivery sheath is used to deliver the elastic coil implant, then the implant can be delivered, but the sheath has large outer diameter making it difficult to insert into small-diameter airways
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the delivery sheath and using only the core wire for delivery, the patent achieves a much smaller delivery profile that can access small-diameter airways including lung bypasses, while still enabling complete deployment of the elastic coil implant at the target site.
3Productivity
If traditional three-step surgical method is used (inserting bronchoscope, building channel, implanting product), then the implant can be delivered, but the surgery time is prolonged and patient discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the channel building function and implant delivery function into a single integrated system. The core wire serves both as the delivery conduit and the channel-defining element, eliminating the need for separate channel building steps and reducing overall surgery time and patient discomfort.
4Ease of manufacture
If the elastic coil is released through the delivery sheath, then the implant can be deployed, but the delivery sheath may injure the inner wall of the bronchus during pushing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the delivery sheath that causes bronchial wall injury during implant pushing. The elastic coil is instead deployed directly from the core wire using a release mechanism, maintaining deployment capability while removing the source of mechanical injury to the bronchial wall.
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 reduces the risk of pneumothorax, allows for implantation in smaller airways, shortens surgery time, and enhances treatment effectiveness by enabling precise placement and reduced tissue inflammation, improving patient comfort and outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
The elastic deformation section has a shape memory characteristic and has a plurality of cutout grooves formed in a spacing manner along its lengthwise direction
Implementation Method 2
the elastic deformation section has a shape memory characteristic... the target region is squeezed and pulled, so as to achieve a lung volume reduction effect
Data Source
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AI summary
A lung-volume-reduction elastic implant (500) is tubular and at least the proximal end of the implant has an opening. The implant (500) comprises an elastic deforming part (51) and a flexible guiding part (53) connected to the distal end of the elastic deforming part (51). The elastic deforming part (51) has a shape memory property. The elastic deforming part (51) is provided in the lengthwise direction thereof with several slots (514) at intervals, wherein each slot (514) communicates with the tubular cavity of the elastic deforming part (51). Under the same externally applied force, the flexible guiding part (53) deforms more easily than the elastic deforming part (51). An implant delivering instrument (600) comprises an implant (500) and a matching delivering means (700). The delivering means (700) comprises a core wire (71) and a hollow pushing member (73). The implant (500) is detachably connected to the distal end of the pushing member (73) by means of the proximal end of the implant. The core wire (71) movably passes through the tubular cavity of the implant (500) and the tubular cavity of the pushing member (73).