Expandable Tissue Anchor for Prostate Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) are only partially effective and burdened with significant side effects, necessitating the development of new devices and methods to relieve pressure on the prostatic urethra by compressing the prostate gland.
Innovation Solution
A prostatic implant with a distal anchor portion that anchors to the outer prostatic capsule and a urethral side, connected by an elongate middle portion, featuring an expandable proximal anchor portion that expands upon deployment, providing a larger anchoring footprint to compress the prostate tissue and relieve urethral constriction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a fixed-dimension prostatic implant is used, then the device structure is simple, but the anchoring footprint is limited and tissue retraction is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The implant incorporates an expandable proximal anchor portion that transitions from a compressed delivery configuration to an expanded anchoring configuration. This dynamic transformation allows the anchor to provide a larger anchoring footprint and greater tissue retraction force while maintaining a compact form during delivery, thus resolving the contradiction between anchoring area and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable anchor portion is designed to be nested within a delivery device during implantation. The anchor collapses into a compact form that fits within the delivery catheter, then expands after deployment to provide the required anchoring footprint. This nesting approach enables a large functional anchor to be delivered through a small access route without increasing overall device complexity
2Area of stationary object
If multiple implants are used for larger prostate glands, then adequate compression coverage is achieved, but the procedure complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable anchor provides a larger anchoring footprint in a single implant, which translates to greater tissue retraction and compression coverage. This dynamic expansion capability allows one implant to achieve the compression effect that would otherwise require multiple fixed-dimension implants, thereby reducing procedure complexity while maintaining adequate coverage area
Solution Approach 2:
The implant utilizes the radial dimension by expanding the proximal anchor portion outward perpendicular to the long axis of the implant. This dimensional change creates a larger anchoring footprint without increasing the length of the implant, allowing single-implant coverage that would otherwise require multiple implants placed in series
3Area of moving object
If the expandable anchor portion is released from the delivery device, then the anchor expands to provide larger footprint, but the delivery and deployment process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable anchor is pre-loaded in a compressed configuration within the delivery device before patient insertion. The delivery system is designed with pre-positioned release mechanisms that automatically or manually trigger anchor expansion at the target site. This preliminary preparation simplifies the actual deployment operation, as the complex expansion mechanism is already primed and requires only a simple release action during surgery
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 compresses the prostate gland, increasing tissue retraction and maintaining constant compression forces, thereby alleviating urethral constriction and potentially reducing the number of implants required for larger glands.
Implementation Method 1
the expandable anchor portion may assume a smaller, compressed configuration when constrained within a delivery device, and a larger, expanded configuration when released from the delivery device. The expandable anchor portion may thus be biased toward an expanded configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A prostatic implant configured to compress an enlarged prostate gland includes a distal anchor member and an expandable, proximal anchor member connected by a middle portion. The expandable, proximal anchor member is configured to expand upon being released from a tubular delivery device, such that the anchoring footprint of the expandable anchor member on the urethral side of a prostate gland is large relative to anchors having fixed dimensions. The expandable anchor member includes expandable portions configured to expand outwardly or laterally away from the body of the expandable anchor member, forming curved portions or wings. After anchoring the distal anchor member to the outer surface of the prostatic capsule, tension may be applied to the middle portion extended through the prostate gland. Attachment of the expandable anchor member to the middle portion at the urethral side of the gland locks the tension in place, retracting the enlarged prostatic tissue.