Implantable Fluid Management System for Peritoneal Dialysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing peritoneal dialysis systems require frequent replacement of parts, involve handling multiple types of fluid, and pose a risk of infection, necessitating continuous physician involvement and patient hospital visits.
Innovation Solution
An implantable device with a pump, controller, and sensors that autonomously pumps fluid from the peritoneal cavity to the bladder, reducing the patient's burden and providing continuous health monitoring, with a charging and communication system that allows remote physician adjustments and minimizes the need for external components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an implantable device is used to autonomously pump fluid from the peritoneal cavity to the bladder, then patient burden is reduced and continuous health monitoring is provided, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (pumping, monitoring, fluid management) into a single implantable device, eliminating the need for external pumps and multiple separate components that patients must manage, thereby reducing patient burden while consolidating complexity into one integrated system
Solution Approach 2:
The implantable device autonomously performs fluid pumping and health monitoring without requiring patient intervention or external control, allowing the device to serve itself and the patient continuously without manual operation
2Object-affected harmful factors
If parts replacement is minimized in the implantable system, then infection risk is reduced, but device reliability requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the need for frequent part replacement by designing a sealed, implantable system where critical components are enclosed and do not require user access or replacement, thereby eliminating infection risks associated with opening and replacing external parts
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed with redundant capabilities and robust sealing beforehand to prevent infection risks that would arise from part replacement, ensuring that the device can operate reliably for extended periods without requiring user intervention
3Reliability
If multiple types of fluid are handled in the dialysis system, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The implantable device is designed to handle multiple fluid types (dialysis fluid, waste fluid) through a single integrated system that automatically manages fluid transitions and processing, eliminating the need for patients to manually handle and differentiate between multiple fluid types while maintaining treatment effectiveness
4Loss of information
If continuous health monitoring is implemented, then physician involvement is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device implements continuous health monitoring and data transmission using the implantable transceiver and power transfer system, providing uninterrupted health information to physicians while managing energy consumption through efficient wireless power transfer and selective data transmission protocols
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 system reduces the risk of infection, minimizes the need for part replacement, and allows for continuous physician involvement, improving patient comfort and reducing complications by automating fluid removal and providing real-time health data for remote treatment adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
an implantable device including a pump, a controller, a battery and a transceiver, and being configured to pump the fluid in the peritoneum to the patient's bladder
Implementation Method 2
a charging and communication system configured to periodically charge the battery of, and communicate with, the implantable device
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes an implantable device including a pump to pump the fluid from the peritoneum to the bladder via respective catheters, control circuitry, battery and transceiver; a charging and communication system configured to periodically charge the battery and communicate with the implantable device to retrieve data reflective of the patient's health; and monitoring and control software, suitable for use with conventional personal computers, for configuring and controlling operation of the implantable device and charging and communication system. The monitoring and control software allows a treating physician to remotely adjust the volume, time, and frequency with which fluid is pumped from the peritoneal cavity to the bladder based on the data reflective of the patient's health.