Image-Guided Lumbar Puncture Injector with Automated Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The delivery of fluids to intrathecal spaces during lumbar puncture procedures is challenging due to the need for precise manual insertion, which can lead to complications such as pressure build-up from rapid infusion or excessive fluid, and requires significant training and time for clinicians to adapt devices to different anatomical sites and treatments.
Innovation Solution
An image-guided aspiration and injector system that includes an auto-injection device with a housing, syringe, controller, and imaging device for capturing lumbar puncture area images, a needle assembly with a telescoping needle for precise insertion, and sensors for pressure and physiological parameter measurement, allowing for programmed infusion and aspiration protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual needle insertion is used for lumbar puncture, then the procedure can be performed with simple equipment, but the precision and safety of fluid delivery is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical needle insertion with an automated injection system that uses image guidance (ultrasound or MRI) to precisely locate the lumbar puncture site. The system automatically controls needle insertion depth and fluid delivery rate, substituting clinician manual skill with automated mechanical control guided by real-time imaging feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates real-time imaging feedback during the procedure to monitor needle position and fluid delivery. The imaging device provides continuous visual feedback to the controller, which adjusts injection parameters dynamically to maintain precise needle placement and controlled fluid infusion, preventing both under-penetration and over-infusion.
2Productivity
If rapid fluid infusion is performed, then treatment efficiency is improved, but pressure build-up and safety complications increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic, controlled fluid infusion rather than continuous rapid delivery. The controller regulates fluid flow in controlled intervals, pausing to monitor pressure feedback from the intrathecal space, thereby maintaining high overall productivity while preventing dangerous pressure accumulation through rhythmic, monitored delivery cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection system incorporates pressure sensors and imaging feedback that continuously monitor intrathecal pressure during fluid delivery. When pressure approaches threshold levels, the system automatically reduces or pauses infusion rate, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains safe pressure levels while achieving efficient overall fluid delivery over time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If clinicians manually adapt devices to different anatomical sites, then device versatility is achieved, but training time and procedural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal injection system that can be adapted to multiple anatomical sites (lumbar puncture, intracerebroventricular, intratumoral) through software configuration rather than hardware modification. The same physical device delivers fluids to different sites by changing imaging parameters and injection protocols, eliminating the need for site-specific device adaptations and reducing clinician training requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs automatic anatomical site identification and parameter optimization through integrated imaging and control software. The imaging device automatically locates the target anatomical structure, and the controller self-adjusts injection parameters based on the detected anatomy, reducing the need for clinician expertise in manual device adaptation while maintaining versatility across different treatment sites.
Data Source
AI summary
An image-guided lumbar puncture aspiration and injector system. The system includes an auto-injection device having a housing, at least one syringe having a fluid, a controller, a processor, a memory, and a display. An imaging device is communicatively coupled to the auto-injection device and captures images of a lumbar puncture area of a patient to be displayed on the display of the auto-injection device, helping identify a location for a lumbar puncture procedure. A needle assembly is coupled to the at least one syringe of the auto-injection device. An outer needle is adapted to be inserted into a location of the lumbar puncture area identified by the imaging device, and an inner needle is adapted to be inserted into the dura of the patient. The outer sheath needle protects the inner needle from contaminants. The controller operates the auto-injection device based on a programmed infusion and aspiration profile.