Paclitaxel-Coated Expandable Mesh for Prostatic Urethra Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) face challenges in providing significant and durable symptom relief while minimizing morbidity and improving quality of life, with existing methods like transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and catheter-based therapies having high complication rates and limited long-term efficacy.
Innovation Solution
A tubular, expandable metal mesh coated with a medicament such as paclitaxel, delivered via a Foley catheter, which can be expanded to treat the prostatic urethra without blocking urine flow, allowing for extended treatment times and optional iontophoresis or electroporation for enhanced treatment efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is performed to treat BPH, then significant symptom relief is achieved, but complication rates increase (hemorrhage, incontinence, erectile dysfunction, urethral strictures)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical resection (TURP) with a chemical treatment approach using paclitaxel-coated mesh. The mesh delivers anticancer medication directly to the prostate tissue to inhibit cellular proliferation, substituting the mechanical cutting and removal process with a pharmacological intervention that achieves similar therapeutic goals without the associated surgical complications
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a porous mesh structure coated with paclitaxel that allows controlled delivery of the medicament to the prostate tissue. The porous nature of the mesh enables efficient drug release while maintaining structural integrity, providing sustained local therapy that reduces complications compared to traditional resection methods
2Object-affected harmful factors
If catheter-based therapies are used to minimize morbidity, then side effects are reduced, but long-term efficacy and symptom relief are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies paclitaxel coating to the mesh before insertion, pre-loading the device with high concentrations of medicament. This preliminary action ensures that sufficient drug is delivered to the target tissue during the brief treatment period, achieving durable long-term effects without requiring prolonged catheter placement or repeated interventions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the concentration parameter of paclitaxel delivery by using a coated mesh structure that provides high local drug concentrations. This parameter change enables effective long-term symptom relief with minimal side effects, as the high concentration is localized to the treatment site rather than systemically distributed
3Ease of operation
If traditional surgical techniques are used to reduce prostate size, then obstruction is relieved, but quality of life deteriorates due to morbidity and recovery time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes mechanical prostate size reduction through resection with chemical inhibition of cellular proliferation using paclitaxel. This approach achieves the same functional goal of relieving obstruction while avoiding the morbidity and extended recovery associated with surgical resection
Solution Approach 2:
The paclitaxel-coated mesh acts as an intermediary that delivers therapeutic effect without direct mechanical intervention. The mesh serves as a vehicle for drug delivery, mediating between the treatment goal and the prostate tissue, thereby achieving size reduction through biochemical rather than mechanical means and reducing associated morbidity
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 enables higher medicament doses, longer treatment durations, and more targeted tissue destruction, reducing side effects and improving symptom relief for BPH and potentially treating prostate cancer, while allowing for normal urine flow during treatment.
Implementation Method 1
The mesh has been treated with a medicament, such as paclitaxel
Implementation Method 2
The mesh is then expanded so that at least a portion of the mesh is against the prostatic urethral wall
Implementation Method 3
optional iontophoresis or electroporation for enhanced treatment efficacy
Implementation Method 4
optional iontophoresis or electroporation for enhanced treatment efficacy
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment comprises a tubular, expandable metal mesh outside of a Foley catheter, which is held in place during treatment with a bladder balloon. The mesh is compressed for insertion into the prostate. The mesh is then expanded so that at least a portion of the mesh is against the prostatic urethral wall. The mesh is treated with a medicament, such as paclitaxel. Urine may flow through the catheter since there is no blockage of the urethra. Embodiments use different elements and methods for compressing or expanding the metal mesh. The mesh in a passive state may be either compressed or expanded. The state if the mesh is changed by either pushing or pulling on the mesh while it is in place in the urethra. Other embodiments may use the metal mesh as one electrode for iontophoresis or electroporation.