Disposable Kidney Phantom with Calyxes for Nephrostomy Training

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current anatomical phantoms for interventional radiology lack drainage functionality and realistic simulation of kidney calyxes, limiting training effectiveness and availability, especially for nephrostomy procedures, and are often expensive and limited in usage.

Innovation Solution

Development of a patient-specific anatomical kidney phantom with calyxes and drainage system, created using 3D modeling and gelatine mixture, allowing for realistic simulation of kidney structures and procedures like nephrostomy, biopsy, and radio-frequency ablation, with features like colored liquids and x-ray contrast media for fluoroscopy training.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If commercial phantoms are used for nephrostomy training, then training availability is provided, but cost is high and usage is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraining availabilityVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a disposable phantom system where the kidney phantom, calyxes, and surrounding materials are designed as single-use, low-cost components. After training procedures, the entire phantom is discarded rather than sterilized and reused, dramatically reducing cost per training session while maintaining high adaptability for multiple different training scenarios

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The phantom allows modification of physical parameters such as filling different calyxes with various colored liquids, adjusting fluid volumes, and changing contrast media concentrations to simulate different pathological conditions and training scenarios, providing versatility without requiring multiple expensive specialized phantoms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If anatomical phantoms without drainage functionality are used, then structure simplicity is maintained, but training effectiveness for nephrostomy is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidtraining effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The kidney phantom is segmented into multiple functional calyxes (typically 3-5 separate compartments) that can be independently filled, drained, and manipulated. This segmentation allows trainees to practice needle insertion into specific calyxes and observe drainage procedures, providing realistic training effectiveness while maintaining relatively simple individual component structures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The phantom incorporates hydraulic principles by filling calyxes with liquids that can be drained through simulated nephrostomy procedures. The liquid-filled calyxes provide realistic feedback during needle insertion and drainage catheter placement, enhancing training effectiveness without requiring complex mechanical drainage systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

3Ease of manufacture

If kidney phantoms without calyxes are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but realism for drainage training is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidanatomical realism

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The calyxes are constructed as nested structures within the kidney phantom, with each calyx being a smaller enclosed compartment positioned within the overall kidney shape. This nested design allows realistic anatomical representation while simplifying manufacturing, as each calyx can be formed as a separate molded component that fits into the kidney matrix

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The phantom uses composite material construction, combining a flexible kidney matrix material with separate liquid-filled calyx compartments. This composite approach allows the calyxes to be integrated into the kidney structure for anatomical realism while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through modular assembly of pre-formed components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

4Shape

If patient-specific phantoms are manufactured, then training realism is improved, but cost and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraining realismVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The phantom system uses 3D imaging data (CT or MRI scans) from actual patient kidneys to create accurate digital models, which are then used to manufacture physical phantoms that replicate the patient's specific anatomical variations. This copying process captures realistic anatomical details including calyx positions, kidney shape variations, and surrounding tissue structures, providing high training realism while using standardized manufacturing processes that control complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10083632B2Patient specific anatomic kidney phatnom

Publication Date: 2018.09.25 TALLINN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

AI summary

The invention relates to an anatonnical kidney phantom with calyces for drainage training in interventional radiology. The anatonnical kidney phantom simulator comprises a housing filled with the surrounding material and an anatomical kidney phantom placed into surrounding material. The kidney phantom has a number of cavities simulating parts of the kidney for drainage training in interventional radiology for example the cavities are simulating kidney calyces. The cavities are connected by channels and connecting pipe with outer reservoirs filled with the different colors or the x-ray opaque contrast liquids.