Elastic Urethral Implant with Segmented Rings for BPH
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implants for expanding the prostatic urethra face issues such as migration, encrustation, hyperplastic ingrowth, incontinence, and difficult removal due to anatomical complexities and material irritations, leading to short-term and long-term complications in treating conditions like BPH.
Innovation Solution
An elastic implant with a single wire body that laterally expands and longitudinally contracts, featuring non-coplanar ring-shaped structures and interconnect portions, designed to maintain the prostatic urethra in an open state, minimizing urine exposure and reducing the risk of complications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional cylindrical mesh or coil stents are used to expand the prostatic urethra, then the lumen is maintained in an open state, but migration and encrustation occur due to anatomical geometry and urine exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is divided into multiple expansion elements (balloons or mesh sections) arranged in a series along the urethra. Each element can be independently deployed and secured, creating multiple anchor points that prevent migration while reducing urine stagnation zones that cause encrustation.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant transitions from a traditional cylindrical shape to a three-dimensional configuration with expansion elements that protrude into the lumen. This dimensional change creates a more complex geometry that reduces urine flow stagnation and prevents encrustation while maintaining lumen patency.
2Productivity
If implants are designed to retract obstructing prostatic lobes effectively, then urinary flow is improved, but the implant profile increases and urine exposure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The implant features localized expansion elements positioned at specific sites along the urethra where prostatic lobes cause obstruction. Each expansion element is tailored to address local anatomical variations, providing effective lobe retraction while minimizing the overall implant profile and reducing urine exposure to only the necessary areas.
3Strength
If implants are made from multiple wires or parts to provide structural support, then lumen patency is maintained, but removal becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The implant combines multiple functional components (support structure, expansion elements, and securing mechanisms) into a single integrated device. This unified design maintains the necessary structural strength for lumen support while allowing the entire implant to be removed as one unit, significantly easing the removal process compared to multi-part constructions.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the implant profile is minimized to reduce urine exposure, then encrustation is reduced, but the ability to retract obstructing lobes is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The implant employs dynamic expansion elements that can be inflated or expanded after deployment to achieve the necessary lobe retraction force. This dynamic capability allows the implant to maintain a low profile during insertion and deployment, then transform to provide effective obstruction relief without permanently increasing the profile and urine exposure.
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 implant effectively maintains the prostatic urethra patency, reduces complications like migration and encrustation, and facilitates easier removal, providing a stable and effective solution for conditions like BPH while minimizing tissue irritation.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic wire body adapted to laterally expand and longitudinally contract from a deployed configuration to an at-rest configuration
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~1D
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
Systems, devices, and methods are provided for the delivery of an implant into the prostatic urethra. Embodiments of implants are disclosed where the implants can have an elastic main body that is biased towards an at-rest configuration where the body forms multiple expander sections coupled together by interconnect portions. The expander sections can have numerous different shapes and configurations.