Expandable Absorbent Delivery Member for Viscous Treatment Gels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscopic delivery of viscous treatment agents, such as adhesives, is challenging due to the high force required, leading to incomplete delivery and increased procedural risks, costs, and duration.
Innovation Solution
A medical device with an expandable member and absorbent member, utilizing a pull wire and lumen to deploy a treatment agent delivery member that transitions from a collapsed to an expanded configuration, allowing for delivery of a viscous fluid treatment gel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a large amount of force is applied to deliver the viscous agent, then the agent can be delivered through the delivery system, but the delivery system may become difficult to advance through the endoscope and incomplete delivery may still occur
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment agent is divided into multiple separate compartments within the delivery system, each containing a portion of the agent. This segmentation allows the system to deliver the total required amount without requiring excessive force, as each compartment can be individually positioned and released. The segmented design reduces the mechanical burden on the delivery system while ensuring complete agent delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery system incorporates dynamic elements including an expandable member that can transition between compressed and expanded states, and a phase change material that transitions from solid to liquid at body temperature. These dynamic features enable the system to be easily advanced in its compressed state, then automatically expand or change phase at the target site to deliver the treatment agent effectively without requiring excessive force.
2Reliability
If the delivery system is designed to deliver viscous agents, then complete delivery can be achieved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components needed
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional components are merged into a single integrated delivery system. The expandable member, phase change material, and treatment agent compartments are combined into one cohesive device that can be advanced through the endoscope as a single unit. This merging reduces the number of separate components and assembly steps while maintaining the reliability needed for complete agent delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery system incorporates self-actuating features where the phase change material automatically transitions from solid to liquid at body temperature, and the expandable member automatically expands when deployed. These self-service mechanisms eliminate the need for complex external actuation systems, reducing device complexity while ensuring reliable and complete treatment agent delivery.
3Ease of operation
If insufficient force is applied during delivery, then the delivery system remains easy to advance, but incomplete delivery of the treatment agent occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes parameter changes in the phase change material, which transitions from a solid state during delivery (requiring minimal force) to a liquid state at the target site (enabling complete agent release). This parameter change allows the delivery system to be easily advanced while ensuring that the full amount of treatment agent is delivered once the material transitions phase at body temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable member provides dynamic expansion after easy advancement, allowing the system to transition from a low-profile compressed state (easy to advance) to an expanded state (effective agent delivery). This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction by enabling both easy advancement and complete agent delivery at different stages of the procedure.
4Reliability
If the treatment agent is delivered as a viscous gel, then therapeutic effectiveness is improved, but the force required for delivery increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment agent is formulated as a phase change material that exists in a solid or semi-solid state during delivery (requiring minimal force) and automatically transitions to a viscous gel state at body temperature (providing therapeutic effectiveness). This phase transition resolves the contradiction by enabling easy delivery followed by effective therapeutic action without requiring high delivery forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic rheological properties where the treatment agent's viscosity changes with temperature. During delivery at room temperature, the agent has lower viscosity requiring minimal force. Upon contact with body temperature tissue, the agent transitions to a more viscous gel state that provides the desired therapeutic effectiveness, thus resolving the force effectiveness contradiction.
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
Facilitates efficient and complete delivery of treatment agents to target sites within the body, reducing procedural risks and costs while enhancing healing processes.
Implementation Method 1
The expandable member may include a memory shape element. The expandable member may include nitinol. The expandable member includes braided nitinol wires.
Implementation Method 2
The expandable member may be biased to the expanded configuration.
Implementation Method 3
The absorbent member may include a powdered treatment agent. The powdered treatment agent is configured to mix with a fluid delivered through the lumen to form a viscous fluid treatment gel.
Implementation Method 4
The powdered treatment agent is configured to mix with a fluid delivered through the lumen to form a viscous fluid treatment gel.
Implementation Method 5
a pull wire disposed in the lumen of the shaft; and an agent delivery member connected to a distal end of the pull
Implementation Method 6
The lumen may be configured to transmit a fluid from the handle of the device to the agent delivery member.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a medical device comprising: a handle; a shaft extending from a distal end of the handle, the shaft defining a lumen; a pull wire disposed in the lumen of the shaft; and an agent delivery member connected to a distal end of the pull. The agent delivery member may comprise an expandable member and an absorbent member. The expandable member may be configured to transition from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration, and the expandable member may be biased to the expanded configuration.