Minimally Invasive Hernia Stent via Anus

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current treatments for inguinal hernia that involve blocking the hernial site with a structural body require incising the body surface, increasing invasiveness and the burden on the patient.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that introduce a stent or interlock ring through the anus to restrict bowel deformation, preventing exposure through the fascia without surface incision, using a catheter and push-out wire to deploy the stent or ring minimally invasively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a structural body is used to block the hernial site, then the bowel is prevented from being exposed to the outside, but the body surface has to be incised along the shape of the structural body, increasing invasiveness and burden on the patient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of bowel exposureVSAvoidinvasiveness and patient burden

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of introducing the structural body from the external body surface through incision, the invention introduces it from the internal luminal side through the anus. This inversion of the introduction route eliminates the need for external incision while achieving the same hernia prevention effect. The structural body is delivered via a catheter through the gastrointestinal lumen to the hernial site.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

A catheter serves as an intermediary device to transport the structural body from the anus to the hernial site within the abdominal cavity. The catheter enables minimally invasive delivery by navigating through the gastrointestinal tract and positioning the structural body at the target location without requiring external surgical incision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If a structural body is introduced through the body surface, then hernia can be treated, but excessive burden is applied to the patient due to incision and tissue trauma

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment effectivenessVSAvoidpatient burden during treatment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention inverts the traditional approach by introducing the structural body from the internal luminal side (anus) rather than the external body surface. This eliminates incision-related trauma and significantly reduces patient burden during treatment while maintaining treatment effectiveness for inguinal hernia.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the mechanical surgical incision system with a minimally invasive catheter-based delivery system. Instead of using scalpels and surgical instruments to create incisions, the structural body is delivered through a flexible catheter routed through the gastrointestinal lumen, substituting traumatic mechanical surgery with a less invasive delivery mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS10512532B2Therapeutic device for the treatment methods and inguinal hernia

Publication Date: 2019.12.24 TERUMO KK

AI summary

Provided is a method of treating inguinal hernia, in which a burden applied to a patient during treatment can be reduced. There is provided a method of treating inguinal hernia, in which a bowel is prevented from being exposed to an outside through a fascia. The method of treating inguinal hernia includes an introduction step of introducing a member configuring a structural body which restricts deformation of the bowel, through an anus toward a hernial site by using a transportation member; and a configuration step of configuring the structural body with respect to the bowel which stays medial to the fascia.