Expandable Endoluminal Sizing for Irregular Airway Shapes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current airway sizing devices often provide inaccurate measurements due to airway walls' varying compliance and non-cylindrical shapes, leading to potential damage from improperly sized medical devices.
Innovation Solution
Endoluminal sizing devices with expandable members, such as struts and whiskers, that self-center and expand to measure airway dimensions without displacing the wall, using sheaths for controlled expansion and visual indicators for accurate sizing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If rigid sizing devices are used to measure airway dimensions, then measurement precision is improved, but the device may damage the compliant airway walls
Solution Approach 1:
The sizing device changes its physical state from compressed to expanded, allowing it to adapt to the airway dimensions without causing damage. The expandable members are compressed during insertion to navigate the airway, then expanded to contact the airway wall gently for accurate measurement, avoiding the damage caused by rigid devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The sizing device transitions from a static, rigid structure to a dynamic, expandable structure. The expandable members can change their configuration from a collapsed state during insertion to an expanded state for measurement, allowing the device to adapt to varying airway sizes and compliance without causing harm.
2Adaptability or versatility
If expandable members are used to measure airway size, then adaptability to different airway shapes is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sizing device is divided into multiple expandable members that can independently contact the airway wall. Each member can adapt to different portions of the airway circumference, allowing the device to accommodate non-cylindrical and irregular airway shapes while keeping each individual member relatively simple in structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable members are nested within a catheter during insertion, with each member contained within the others or within the catheter lumen. This nesting arrangement allows the complex expandable structure to be delivered through a simple catheter, reducing the apparent device complexity during the insertion phase while maintaining adaptability during measurement.
3Measurement precision
If visual indicators are added to indicate airway size, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sizing device incorporates visual indicators such as color-coded markings or fluorescent elements on the expandable members that change or become visible when the device expands to a specific size. This allows precise indication of airway dimensions through color or visibility changes rather than complex mechanical measurement systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Complex mechanical measurement systems are replaced with visual indicators that provide size information through optical means. Instead of using intricate mechanical linkages or electronic sensors, the device uses painted markings, color codes, or fluorescent materials that visually indicate the expanded size of the device, thereby indicating the airway dimension.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a sizing device that can be used to measure the size of airways lumens, such as those connected to lungs. The sizing device can have different expandable elements in order to accurately and consistently measure the particular dimensions of a lumen. In some embodiments, markings viewable by a user can be used to determine the particular size.