Gastrointestinal Tract Constriction via Spreading Block
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease, such as PTL 1 and PTL 2, involve invasive procedures like tissue removal or scarring, which can lead to complications like perforation and bleeding, and do not effectively prevent gastric acid reflux without excessive constriction.
Innovation Solution
A gastrointestinal-tract constricting method that uses an endoscope to form a spreading block between the mucosa basal layer and the muscular layer, preventing ethanol from infiltrating into the muscular layer, thereby constricting the gastrointestinal tract by damaging the mucosa basal layer while avoiding damage to the muscular layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tissue removal or scarring methods are used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, then gastric acid reflux can be reduced, but complications like perforation and bleeding occur and excessive constriction is caused
Solution Approach 1:
A spreading block (infiltration block) made of inert material is introduced as an intermediary substance between the ethanol and the muscular layer. This block prevents direct contact between ethanol and the muscular layer, thereby preventing perforation and bleeding while still allowing the ethanol to damage the mucosa basal layer and achieve reflux reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment is applied locally and selectively to specific regions of the gastrointestinal tract. The spreading block is formed only in areas where constriction is needed, and ethanol is supplied only to targeted mucosal regions, avoiding unnecessary damage to surrounding healthy tissues and preventing excessive constriction
2Reliability
If tissue removal or scarring methods are used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, then gastric acid reflux can be reduced, but excessive constriction is caused
Solution Approach 1:
The spreading block is formed in advance before ethanol is supplied. This preliminary action creates a predetermined barrier that limits the depth and extent of ethanol infiltration, ensuring that constriction is controlled and does not become excessive while still achieving the desired reflux reduction effect
Solution Approach 2:
The spreading block acts as a mediator that modulates the effect of ethanol on the gastrointestinal tract wall. It allows controlled interaction with the mucosa basal layer while preventing over-penetration into deeper layers, thereby achieving balanced constriction without excessive tightening
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a spreading block is formed to prevent substance infiltration, then damage to the muscular layer is avoided, but the complexity of the procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spreading block is formed using the patient's own bodily materials and natural healing processes. Ethanol is used to induce controlled tissue reaction and scar formation, and the body's own inflammatory response creates the constriction effect, eliminating the need for complex external devices or implants
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical approach of physically constricting or removing tissue is replaced with a chemical approach using ethanol. The chemical substance induces biological processes (inflammation, scarring) that result in constriction, simplifying the procedure by replacing complex mechanical interventions with a straightforward chemical application
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 method effectively constricts the gastrointestinal tract, reducing gastric acid reflux with minimal invasiveness and avoiding complications like perforation, by forming a spreading block to contain the ethanol and promote scar formation without excessive constriction.
Implementation Method 1
forming a spreading block that blocks infiltration of a substance, which damages a mucosa basal layer of the gastrointestinal tract, into a muscular layer underlying the mucosa basal layer
Implementation Method 2
supplying the substance along the circumferential direction of the gastrointestinal tract and to the mucosal surface that lies within a range on the inner side of the gastrointestinal tract with respect to the spreading block
Implementation Method 3
the gastrointestinal tract is constricted by deliberately causing scars to form by incising at least one of the mucosal layer and the submucosal layer in the gastroesophageal junction or the stomach
Data Source
AI summary
A gastrointestinal-tract constricting method includes, while observing the gastrointestinal tract by inserting an endoscope into the gastrointestinal tract, forming a spreading block that blocks infiltration of a substance, which damages a mucosa basal layer of the gastrointestinal tract, into the muscular layer underlying the mucosa basal layer, the spreading block being formed along a circumferential direction of the gastrointestinal tract and between the mucosa basal layer and the muscular layer; and supplying the substance along the circumferential direction of the gastrointestinal tract and to a surface of the mucosa that lies within a region that overlaps an inner side of the gastrointestinal tract with respect to the spreading block out of the entire circumference of the gastrointestinal tract in a transverse section of the gastrointestinal tract.