Enteric Coated EDTA Oral Dosage for Kidney Stone Dissolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for kidney stones are invasive, costly, and lack a simple, effective oral outpatient solution to reduce stone size, eliminate stones, and prevent recurrence.
Innovation Solution
Administration of a chelating agent, preferably ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) in an enteric coated oral dosage form with controlled-release anode-cathode materials to enhance delivery, combined with nutritional supplementation, for a treating phase followed by a maintenance phase to minimize stone formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If invasive procedures like lithotripsy are used to treat kidney stones, then stone removal effectiveness is improved, but treatment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical lithotripsy procedures with a chemical dissolution system using EDTA chelating agents. The oral administration of EDTA tablets dissolves kidney stones through chemical chelation of calcium ions, eliminating the need for complex mechanical shock wave devices and surgical interventions while maintaining effective stone removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces EDTA as a chemical intermediary substance that facilitates stone dissolution through oral administration. The enteric-coated EDTA tablets serve as a mediator between the patient's digestive system and the kidney stones, transporting the chelating agent to the target site where it binds to calcium in stones and promotes their dissolution without requiring direct mechanical contact.
2Reliability
If high doses of EDTA are administered to dissolve kidney stones, then stone dissolution effectiveness is improved, but risk of nutritional depletion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates nutritional supplementation instructions as a preliminary action to be taken concurrently with high-dose EDTA administration. Patients are advised to take calcium, magnesium, and vitamin supplements before or during the treatment course to prevent chelation of essential nutrients, thereby maintaining nutritional status while achieving effective stone dissolution with high doses of EDTA.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the dosing parameters of EDTA by using enteric-coated tablets that release the chelating agent in controlled amounts throughout the digestive tract. This parameter change in drug delivery allows for higher total doses to be administered while reducing peak concentrations that could cause adverse effects, and the coating ensures targeted delivery to minimize gastrointestinal irritation and nutrient malabsorption.
3Ease of operation
If enteric-coated EDTA tablets are used for oral administration, then patient convenience is improved, but drug delivery efficiency may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The enteric coating acts as an intermediary layer that protects EDTA from degradation in the acidic stomach environment and facilitates its release in the more neutral pH of the small intestine. This coating mediator ensures the drug reaches its absorption site intact, maintaining delivery efficiency while enabling convenient oral administration without requiring special dosing conditions.
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
Effectively reduces or eliminates kidney stones with minimal side effects, reduces recurrence risk, and avoids the need for invasive procedures by providing a high concentration of EDTA to dissolve stones while preventing nutritional depletion.
Implementation Method 1
the chelating agent is administered in an enteric coated oral dosage form
Implementation Method 2
which anode-cathode materials create a galvanic current in response to the chemistry of the intestinal contents and which galvanic current in turn enhances delivery of the chelating agent through the intestinal wall
Implementation Method 3
The chelating agent is most preferably ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)... to dissolve calcareous formations
Data Source
AI summary
A treatment protocol by which a renal stone patient is administered a chelating agent, generally once a day and preferably by mouth, during a treatment phase and is later administered the same chelating agent once a week, during a “maintenance” phase. The chelating agent is most preferably ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and may be provided in a dosage form having an enteric coating and at least one external cathode and at least one external anode to create a galvanic current upon contact of the dosage form with the patient's intestinal contents.