Expandable Absorbent Plug for Nasal Anesthetic Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for delivering anesthesia to the nasal cavity face challenges such as limited accessibility, irregular surface anatomy, and difficulty in achieving uniform pain control, leading to patient discomfort and increased costs due to inefficiencies in anesthetic application and lack of effective testing methods.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus featuring an elongated shaft with an absorbent plug that expands to contact the nasal cavity walls, allowing for targeted and efficient delivery of anesthetic agents, while a sheath mechanism facilitates navigation and minimizes initial size for insertion, and a hand piece aids in manipulation, enabling precise application and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional anesthetic delivery methods (sprays, liquids) are used, then ease of application is improved, but uniform coverage and pain control effectiveness deteriorate due to the narrow, irregular nasal cavity anatomy
Solution Approach 1:
The anesthetic delivery device is designed with a selectively expandable portion that can be compressed during insertion through the narrow nasal passage and then expanded at the target location to conform to the irregular nasal cavity walls. This allows the device to adapt to different anatomical configurations, providing uniform anesthetic coverage across varied surfaces while maintaining ease of insertion through conventional nasal access points
Solution Approach 2:
The anesthetic delivery device incorporates a selectively expandable portion that transitions from a compressed state during insertion to an expanded state at the target location. This dynamic transformation enables the device to navigate the narrow nasal cavity easily while then expanding to cover the irregular nasal cavity walls uniformly, resolving the contradiction between ease of application and coverage uniformity
2Reliability
If multiple anesthetic agents and sedatives are used to achieve substantial pain control, then pain control effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The anesthetic delivery device is designed as a single, multi-functional unit that can deliver multiple anesthetic agents through its expandable portion. The device consolidates what would traditionally require multiple separate applications or agents into one integrated system, maintaining comprehensive pain control effectiveness while reducing the complexity of the delivery system itself
Solution Approach 2:
The device merges the delivery of multiple anesthetic agents into a single integrated platform. By combining multiple functions (delivering different anesthetic agents, controlling expansion, ensuring uniform distribution) within one device structure, the system achieves substantial pain control without requiring multiple separate devices or complex coordination between different delivery systems
3Reliability
If anesthetic substances are applied to achieve thorough tissue coverage, then pain control effectiveness is improved, but loss of substance increases due to exposure to the throat
Solution Approach 1:
The selectively expandable portion acts as an intermediary carrier that holds and releases anesthetic substance directly at the target tissue location. By using this intermediate expandable structure, the anesthetic is delivered precisely where needed without excessive runoff to the throat, maintaining pain control effectiveness while reducing substance loss
Solution Approach 2:
The device is compressed into a small profile for insertion through the nasal passage, then expanded at the target location before anesthetic application. This preliminary expansion action ensures the anesthetic is delivered directly to the intended tissue, preventing premature exposure to the throat and reducing substance loss while maintaining thorough coverage
4Ease of operation
If reactive anesthesia adjustment is used (waiting for patient complaints), then ease of operation is improved, but loss of time and patient discomfort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates a feedback mechanism that allows real-time monitoring of anesthetic delivery effectiveness. This enables the system to detect when adequate anesthesia is achieved and adjust delivery accordingly, moving from reactive adjustment (waiting for patient complaints) to proactive monitoring, thereby reducing time loss and patient discomfort while maintaining operational simplicity
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
This solution provides effective pain control with reduced patient discomfort and operational efficiency, allowing for cost-effective and thorough anesthesia delivery, while enabling proactive testing of anesthesia effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
an absorbent plug that expands to contact the nasal cavity walls
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~2C
Figure 3
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an apparatus (200) for delivering an anesthetic agent (222) to a target tissue in a nasal cavity (100) of a patient. The apparatus (200) includes an elongated shaft (212) with a proximal end (214) and a distal end (216). The apparatus (200) also includes an absorbent plug (220) coupled to the distal end (216) of the elongated shaft (212). The absorbent plug (220) is configured to occupy a first volume in a compressed state and a second volume in an uncompressed state. The absorbent plug (220) is configured to store an anesthetic agent (222) and deliver the anesthetic agent (222) to the target tissue in the nasal cavity (100) by contacting the target tissue. The apparatus (200) also includes a sheath (224) at least partially covering the absorbent plug (220). The sheath (224) retains the absorbent plug (220) in the compressed state when positioned at least partially over the absorbent plug (220), and removal of the sheath (224) allows for the absorbent plug (220) to expand to the uncompressed state.