Osmotic Hydrogel Cervical Dilators for Controlled Tissue Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cervical dilators face challenges in controlling the rate of tissue expansion, leading to potential tissue damage and scarring due to mismatched dehydration and mechanical pressure, and existing osmotic dilators lack sufficient mechanical expansion and design features to prevent infection and ensure safe, controlled dilation.
Innovation Solution
A cervical dilator with a dehydrated hydrogel stem containing an osmotically active compound, such as a polyelectrolyte or low-molecular weight salt, is manufactured by axial stretching and controlled drying to achieve anisotropic expansion, combining osmotic and mechanical forces for controlled tissue dilation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If mechanical dilators are used to force tissue expansion, then the dilation speed is improved, but the tissue damage and scarring increase due to exceeding the dehydration rate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines osmotic dehydration mechanism with mechanical expansion in a single hydrogel dilator. The hydrogel contains osmotically active compounds that draw water from tissue to soften it, while the hydrogel itself swells to provide controlled mechanical expansion. This merging of osmotic and mechanical functions resolves the contradiction by ensuring tissue is adequately dehydrated before and during mechanical dilation, preventing damage while maintaining speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrogel's physical and chemical parameters change dynamically during the dilation process. The osmolarity of the hydrogel decreases as it absorbs water and swells, while the mechanical properties of the tissue change as it becomes dehydrated and softer. This dynamic parameter change allows the dilator to adapt to tissue conditions, providing fast yet safe dilation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If osmotic dilators are used for tissue softening, then the tissue damage is reduced, but the mechanical expansion capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrogel dilator merges osmotic dehydration function with mechanical expansion function in a single integrated device. The osmotically active compounds provide gentle tissue softening, while the hydrogel's inherent swelling capability provides the necessary mechanical expansion force. This eliminates the need for separate osmotic and mechanical dilators, providing both safety and sufficient expansion capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The dilator uses a composite hydrogel material that incorporates osmotically active compounds within the hydrogel matrix. This composite structure allows the material to exhibit both osmotic properties (for gentle tissue softening) and mechanical properties (for controlled expansion). The composite nature of the material resolves the contradiction between gentleness and expansion capability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If natural laminaria stems are used for cervical expansion, then the osmotic dehydration is achieved, but the mechanical strength and control are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The synthetic hydrogel allows precise control and optimization of physical parameters such as crosslinking density, polymer concentration, and osmolyte content. These parameter changes enable the hydrogel to achieve both adequate softening capability and sufficient mechanical strength, overcoming the limitations of natural laminaria which have fixed and less controllable properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The synthetic hydrogel composite incorporates carefully selected polymers and osmotically active compounds in controlled ratios and distributions. This engineered composite material provides both the osmotic dehydration capability and the mechanical strength needed, unlike natural laminaria which rely on the fixed properties of the natural material.
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 dilator provides controlled, safe, and effective cervical tissue expansion with reduced risk of damage and infection, ensuring optimal mechanical strength and osmotic pressure for rapid and uniform tissue ripening.
Implementation Method 1
The xerogel is hypertonic with respect to the contacting tissue and thus draws water from the tissue. The osmotic gradient gradually decreases as the osmolarity increases in the tissue and decreases in the hydrogel stem, until the equilibrium is reached.
Implementation Method 2
The stem expands in its volume as the xerogel hydrates to become the hydrogel. This expansion generates a controlled mechanical pressure against the cervical tissue assisting in its dehydration.
Implementation Method 3
A cervical dilator with a dehydrated hydrogel stem containing an osmotically active compound, such as a polyelectrolyte or low-molecular weight salt, is manufactured by axial stretching and controlled drying to achieve anisotropic expansion
Data Source
AI summary
A cervical dilator including a stem comprising a partly or fully dehydrated hydrogel comprising a water-insoluble synthetic hydrophilic polymer capable of radial expansion due to absorption of water from a bodily fluid. The cervical dilator softens and ripens the cervical tissue and expands the cervical canal by a combined action of radial hydrogel stem expansion and osmotic withdrawal of water from the tissue. The osmotic withdrawal is caused by at least one osmotically active compound, such as a water-soluble salt, a polyelectrolyte, or a mixture thereof, wherein the at least one osmotically active compound is dispersed in the hydrogel. The cervical dilator may also include a non-toxic plasticizer of the hydrogel, such as water.