Oral Cooling Balloon Device for Hygienic Mucosal Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oral cooling devices for preventing oral mucositis in cancer patients are limited by their inability to be used universally, high risk of infection due to complex cleaning and disinfection processes, and labor-intensive manual preparation of cooling agents.
Innovation Solution
An oral cooling device utilizing a cooling balloon, which includes a cooling water supply portion, a cooling water hose portion, and a cooling balloon portion that expands to cool the oral cavity and contracts for water recovery, facilitating easy cleaning and disinfection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If manual ice preparation is used for oral cooling therapy, then cooling effect is achieved, but labor consumption and treatment time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of ice preparation and application with an automated cooling device that uses a Peltier element (electro-thermal conversion device) to generate cooling effect electrically, eliminating the need for manual ice handling and significantly reducing labor consumption and treatment time
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling device is designed to be self-operating with automatic temperature control and water circulation systems that require minimal user intervention, allowing the device to maintain optimal cooling conditions automatically during treatment
2Temperature
If fixed frame structure mouthpiece is used for oral cooling, then cooling contact is improved, but device complexity and cleaning difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the mouthpiece into multiple detachable segments including the cooling element, water reservoir, and housing components that can be separated for easy cleaning and disinfection, reducing the complexity of maintaining hygiene while preserving cooling effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible or adjustable components in the mouthpiece design that can adapt to different patient anatomies, replacing rigid fixed structures with dynamic elements that maintain cooling contact while simplifying the overall structure and facilitating cleaning
3Reliability
If complex cleaning and disinfection processes are required for oral cooling devices, then hygiene is maintained, but ease of operation and treatment accessibility decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates disposable components such as single-use mouthpiece covers or replaceable cooling elements that can be discarded after use, eliminating the need for complex cleaning and disinfection processes while ensuring hygiene and making treatment more accessible to patients
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
The device provides universal applicability, enhanced hygiene, and efficient cooling of the oral cavity, reducing the risk of infection and minimizing labor and costs associated with manual ice preparation.
Implementation Method 1
cooling the mucosal tissue in the oral cavity by injecting cooling water into a balloon placed in the mouth to expand the balloon and bringing the mucosal tissue in the oral cavity and the balloon to contact with each other
Implementation Method 2
a cooling balloon portion which is connected to an end portion of the cooling water hose portion, expands by the supplied cooling water to cool an inside of an oral cavity of a patient
Data Source
AI summary
Proposed is an oral cooling device using a cooling balloon, including: a cooling water supply portion provided with a cooler that cools cooling water and a pump that supplies and recovers the cooling water; a cooling water hose portion connected to the cooling water supply portion to transfer the supplied cooling water and recover the recovered cooling water to the cooling water supply portion; and a cooling balloon portion which is connected to an end portion of the cooling water hose portion, expands by the supplied cooling water to cool an inside of an oral cavity of a patient after being inserted into a mouth of the patient, and contracts in a case where the cooling water is recovered to the cooling water supply portion.