Optical Fiber Sensor for Intervertebral Disc Pressure Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring pressure within anatomical organs, such as intervertebral discs, rely on subjective patient feedback and external pressure measurements, leading to inaccurate and potentially damaging procedures during discography and vertebroplasty operations.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a tube-shaped cannula with an optic fiber and a Fabry-Perot sensor for precise, objective measurement of pressure within anatomical organs during liquid injection, allowing for continuous monitoring and comparison against predetermined thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If external pressure sensors are used to measure pressure in anatomical organs, then the measurement can be performed without inserting sensors into the organ, but the measurement accuracy is insufficient and the procedure may cause tissue damage
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor device is inserted into the cannula, which is in turn inserted into the anatomical organ. This nested structure allows the sensor to be positioned directly within the organ cavity (nucleus pulposus) to measure internal pressure accurately, while the cannula provides a protected pathway that minimizes tissue damage risk during insertion and measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula serves as an intermediary element between the external sensor device and the internal anatomical organ. It provides a controlled access pathway that allows the sensor to measure internal pressure without requiring direct penetration or damage to the organ tissue, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement accuracy and tissue safety.
2Productivity
If liquid is injected under pressure into the disc using a syringe, then the discography procedure can be performed, but the pressure measurement is subjective and depends on patient pain feedback
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the subjective mechanical measurement system (syringe pressure control combined with patient pain feedback) with an objective optical measurement system. The Fabry-Perot interferometer sensor device uses optical interference principles to directly measure pressure changes within the nucleus pulposus, providing quantitative, objective data independent of patient subjective responses.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor device provides real-time pressure feedback during the liquid injection procedure. This continuous pressure monitoring allows the system to detect pressure changes objectively, enabling better control of the injection process and more accurate diagnostic assessment without relying on subjective pain feedback alone.
3Measurement precision
If a sensor device is inserted into the anatomical organ for direct pressure measurement, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula serves multiple functions: it provides a pathway for sensor insertion, acts as a protective barrier for the sensor, serves as a conduit for liquid injection, and enables pressure measurement. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby managing device complexity while achieving accurate internal pressure measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor device and cannula are integrated into a unified assembly where the sensor is positioned within the cannula. This merging of components simplifies the overall system by reducing the number of separate elements that need to be handled, inserted, and coordinated during the procedure, while still enabling accurate internal pressure measurement.
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 accurate, objective assessment of pressure within anatomical organs, reducing the risk of tissue damage and improving diagnostic accuracy by measuring internal pressure independently of injection rates and volumes.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor device (10) arranged on the optical fibre (8), which in use is positioned in connection to the anatomical organ (2)... The measurement of the pressure (p) is based on optical interference
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for examination of a pressure (p) in an intervertebral disc, a body of vertebra or any other part of a disc in a human or animal. The device (1) comprises a hollow cannula (6) with an end portion (7) arranged to be inserted into the intervertebral disc, the body of vertebra or any other part of the disc. The device further comprises an optical fiber (8) arranged in the cannula (6) and a sensor device (10) arranged on the optical fiber (8), which in use is positioned in connection to the intervertebral disc, the body of vertebra or any other part of the disc. The device also has an injection device (11) for injection of liquid into the intervertebral disc, the body of vertebra or any other part of the disc through the cannula (6) while the sensor device (10) measures the physical magnitude (p) in the anatomical organ (2). The invention also relates to a method for examination of a pressure (p) in an intervertebral disc, a body of vertebra or any other part of a disc in humans and animals, designed in analogy to the device according to the invention.