Inflatable Port Bladder Dynamics for Palpability and Scarring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vascular access ports often face challenges in matching patient body habitus, leading to issues with location and palpation for infusion-set access, and may become too large after weight loss, causing cosmetic and skin erosion problems.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable port system with a housing, chamber, septum, hollow stem, and bladder that can be inflated to increase size for better stability and palpation, and deflated to minimize scarring and fit post-weight loss body changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If smaller-sized access ports are implanted to minimize scarring, then cosmetic appearance is improved, but the ports cannot be located or palpated for infusion-set access
Solution Approach 1:
The port device incorporates an inflatable bladder that can change its volume and physical characteristics dynamically. Initially implanted in a deflated state for minimal scarring, the port can be inflated later to increase its palpability and stability, thus resolving the contradiction between small size for cosmetics and large size for ease of access
2Ease of operation
If larger-sized access ports are implanted to avoid locating-and-palpating issues, then ease of access is improved, but the ports become too large after patient weight loss, causing cosmetic challenges and skin erosion
Solution Approach 1:
The inflatable bladder allows the port size to be adjusted dynamically over time. The port can be inflated to a larger size when needed for access, then deflated when the patient experiences weight loss, preventing skin erosion and cosmetic issues while maintaining ease of access when required
3Area of stationary object
If smaller incisions are used to implant ports, then scarring is minimized, but the port stability and palpation are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The port is implanted through a small incision with the bladder in a deflated state, minimizing scarring. Later, the bladder can be inflated to provide enhanced stability and palpability, thus resolving the contradiction between small incision size and port stability
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
An inflatable port including a housing, a chamber in the housing, a septum over the chamber, a hollow stem extending from the housing, and a bladder around at least a portion of the housing. The chamber has a major opening and a minor opening. The septum is positioned over the major opening of the chamber and is fixed to the housing. The stem fluidly connects to the chamber by way of the minor opening of the chamber. The bladder is configured to increase a size of the inflatable port upon inflation of the bladder and decrease the size of the inflatable port upon deflation of the bladder. Also disclosed herein is a catheter assembly including the inflatable port, as well as a method related to the foregoing inflatable port and catheter assembly.