Multi-Needle Urethral Injection Device for Precise Bulking Agent Placement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) lack a precise and efficient method for injecting bulking agents into the urethral tissue to strengthen muscles and prevent incontinence, particularly avoiding injection into areas with blood vessels and nerves.
Innovation Solution
A fluid injection device with an elongate cannula and multiple needles that can be translated to extend through apertures on the cannula's surface, allowing simultaneous injection of therapeutic agents into specific locations around the urethra while avoiding the anterior portion to minimize risk to blood vessels and nerves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple needles are used for simultaneous injection, then treatment efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the injection function into multiple independent needles (first needle, second needle, third needle) that can simultaneously inject bulking agent into different locations around the urethra. Each needle is independently positioned and controlled, allowing parallel treatment of multiple tissue sites to improve productivity
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple needles are integrated into a single cannula assembly with a unified control mechanism. The handles and actuation system are merged into one integrated device, allowing simultaneous control of multiple needles through a single operational interface, thereby improving efficiency without proportionally increasing device complexity
2Manufacturing precision
If needles are extended through apertures for injection, then injection precision is improved, but risk of damaging blood vessels and nerves increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula is designed with apertures at specific locations that allow needles to extend only into predetermined safe zones away from blood vessels and nerves. The apertures are strategically positioned to target muscle tissue remote from critical structures, providing localized precision injection while avoiding harmful areas
Solution Approach 2:
The device configuration预先 positions the needles within the cannula before insertion, with each needle pre-aligned to extend through specific apertures at predetermined angles. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when needles are extended, they automatically target safe injection zones, preventing damage to blood vessels and nerves before the injection action occurs
3Measurement precision
If the cannula is inserted deep into the urethra for accurate targeting, then injection accuracy is improved, but the risk of complications increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses a three-dimensional positioning system where the cannula can be inserted to a controlled depth while the needles extend in multiple radial directions through apertures at different angles. This multi-dimensional approach allows accurate targeting of deep tissue locations without requiring excessive insertion depth, thereby maintaining injection accuracy while reducing complications
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~3b
Figure 4
AI summary
The device (10) includes a cannula (20) with a lumen defined therethrough. The cannula additionally includes a plurality of apertures disposed through the distal end portion to provide communication from the lumen and a visually perceptible indicator that is configured to allow the cannula to be positioned at an appropriate rotational position within the patient. A plurality of injection needles (41,42,43) are disposed within the lumen and a first handle (60) is fixed with respect to the cannula and a second handle (70) is disposed in conjunction with the first handle and fixed to the proximal portion of each of the plurality of needles, the first handle is translatable with respect to the second handle to translate the plurality of needles from a first position (09) second position where the distal portion of each of the plurality of needles extends out of the lumen through their respective aperture.