Implantable Fluid Extraction Chamber With Scaffold And Dynamic Vacuum Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid extraction systems from body cavities, such as the peritoneum, are inefficient and lack the ability to adjust treatment protocols based on clinical conditions or patient-specific parameters, leading to suboptimal fluid removal.
Innovation Solution
An implantable fluid extraction system with a permeable sack and internal scaffold, equipped with sensors and a control unit, that adjusts treatment parameters based on clinical measurements and protocols, applies variable negative and positive pressures, and includes a deployable internal scaffold to maintain a flat shape for efficient fluid extraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional fluid extraction system is used, then fluid removal is performed, but the extraction efficiency is low and treatment cannot be adjusted based on patient conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts extraction parameters (negative pressure levels, pump operation cycles) based on real-time sensor feedback and patient-specific clinical conditions. The control unit modifies treatment protocols on-the-fly, transitioning from static to dynamic operation to optimize both efficiency and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors monitor patient parameters and fluid extraction rates, feeding this information back to the control unit which then adjusts treatment parameters accordingly. This closed-loop feedback system enables the system to adapt to changing patient conditions while maintaining optimal extraction efficiency.
2Productivity
If a permeable sack is deployed to extract fluid, then fluid extraction is achieved, but the sack may collapse inward when vacuum is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a flexible permeable sack made of thin film material that can deform and conform to body cavities. This flexible shell maintains stability under vacuum by distributing mechanical stress evenly while allowing fluid permeation, preventing collapse while maintaining extraction capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sack is designed with a curved or spherical geometry that inherently resists collapse under negative pressure. The curved structure distributes vacuum forces evenly across the surface, preventing localized buckling or inward collapse while maintaining the permeable surface area needed for fluid extraction.
3Ease of manufacture
If the permeable sack is made thin and flat, then implantation is easier and tissue disruption is minimal, but the sack lacks structural support
Solution Approach 1:
The sack is constructed as a thin, flexible film that is easy to implant and causes minimal tissue disruption. Despite its thinness, the flexible shell maintains adequate structural support through its material properties and geometric design, eliminating the need for thick rigid walls while providing necessary strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved geometry of the thin flat sack provides inherent structural rigidity through its shape alone. The curvature distributes mechanical loads effectively, allowing the sack to maintain its form and resist collapse without requiring additional structural reinforcement, thus keeping the sack thin and implantation-friendly.
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 effectively adjusts fluid extraction rates and protocols to match patient conditions, achieving targeted fluid removal ranging from 150-1000 ml/day, with minimal tissue disruption and continuous operation.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic internal scaffold configured to be deployed through said opening into said inner lumen of the sack, when unfolded, wherein said elastic internal scaffold stretches said sack to maintain said flat and thin body of said sack
Implementation Method 2
said elastic internal scaffold prevents inward collapse of the permeable sack, when vacuum is applied at said inner lumen of the permeable sack
Implementation Method 3
a porous membrane layer on the outer surface of said sack
Implementation Method 4
a foldable permeable sack comprising an inner lumen
Implementation Method 5
a control unit connected to said draining tube and comprising a pump, wherein said control unit configured to activate said pump to apply negative pressure on said draining tube
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A fluid extraction implantable system shaped and sized to be implanted in a patient, including: a fluid extraction chamber having a flat and thin shape connected to a draining tube and including at least one external flat surface, wherein the at least one external flat surface is configured to be attached to a tissue surface when a negative pressure is applied on the draining tube, wherein the chamber extracts fluids from the tissue by applying the negative pressure through the flat surface on the attached tissue surface.