Medical Agent Spindle Delivery Mechanism for Clogging Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical devices for delivering fluids and powders, such as hemostatic agents, suffer from clogging, inconsistent flow rates, and pressure variations, leading to inaccurate dosing and increased procedure time and cost.
Innovation Solution
A medical system with a handle and a spindle mechanism that allows for controlled delivery of propellant fluid and medical agent through a catheter, featuring a barrel with radially arranged enclosures for precise dosing and a locking mechanism to prevent rotation during transitions, ensuring consistent and accurate delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional catheters are used to deliver fluids and powders, then the delivery process can be performed, but clogging occurs and flow rate consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery system is segmented into multiple components: a handle with a chamber for propellant fluid, a separate spindle with multiple enclosures for different medical agents, and a catheter for delivery. This segmentation prevents clogging by allowing each component to be optimized independently and enables controlled release of multiple agents without interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The spindle is made movable within the lumen, allowing dynamic positioning of different enclosures to communicate with the propellant fluid inlet or the catheter. This dynamic configuration enables controlled delivery timing and prevents clogging by adjusting the delivery mechanism based on operational needs.
2Measurement precision
If conventional dispensing mechanisms are used, then material can be delivered, but flow rate and pressure vary inconsistently
Solution Approach 1:
The propellant fluid is pre-loaded into the handle chamber before the procedure. The spindle enclosures are pre-positioned within the lumen. This preliminary preparation ensures that when delivery begins, the system is already configured for consistent flow rates and pressure, eliminating variations that occur during conventional dispensing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism provides feedback by preventing spindle rotation when enclosures are in certain positions, ensuring proper alignment and consistent delivery geometry. This feedback mechanism maintains stable pressure and flow rate by preventing misalignment that would cause variations.
3Productivity
If conventional delivery systems are used, then treatment can be performed, but procedure time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple medical agents are combined in a single delivery system through the spindle mechanism, which can position different enclosures to deliver multiple agents sequentially or simultaneously through the same catheter. This merging eliminates the need for multiple separate delivery procedures, reducing overall procedure time while maintaining treatment effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables continuous delivery of propellant fluid through the catheter while the spindle positions different medical agent enclosures for continuous or intermittent release. This continuous operation eliminates idle time between deliveries and maintains useful action throughout the procedure, improving efficiency.
4Manufacturing precision
If simple delivery mechanisms are used, then device complexity is reduced, but dosing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing mechanism is segmented into multiple discrete enclosures on the spindle, each containing a specific dose of medical agent. This segmentation provides precise dosing control while keeping each individual enclosure simple in design, balancing precision with manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The spindle enclosures are identical in structure and function, serving as copies of each other. This standardization simplifies manufacturing while maintaining dosing precision, as each enclosure is identical and can be produced using the same process, reducing variability in dosing accuracy.
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
Enables precise and consistent delivery of medical agents to the target site, reducing clogging and time, and enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of medical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
supplying a propellant fluid to the handle chamber
Implementation Method 2
A propellant fluid may be configured to mix with a medical agent in the handle chamber dispensed by one or more of the plurality of spindle enclosures
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A medical system includes a handle having (1) a handle chamber including an outlet and (2) a barrel extending into the handle chamber and defining a lumen having a longitudinal axis, and a spindle movably disposed within the lumen of the barrel, the spindle including a plurality of spindle enclosures, and wherein the spindle is configured to move between a first configuration, in which at least a portion of each of the plurality of spindle enclosures is positioned within a first portion of the lumen within the handle chamber, and a second configuration, in which at least the portion of each of the plurality of spindle enclosures is positioned in a second portion of the lumen outside the handle chamber.