In-Situ Porous Polymer Ureteral Passageway Without Pigtails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ureteral stents cause patient discomfort and urine reflux due to bladder-wall irritation and interference with the peristaltic action of the ureter, necessitating a more comfortable and functional urine passageway solution.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising a primary solid phase that polymerizes in the ureter to form a porous polymeric form, with a leachable component creating pores and a radiopaque tertiary phase for visualization, which can be infused through a ureteroscope or catheter, adhering to urothelial tissue and degrading over time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pigtailed ureteral stent is placed in the ureter to maintain a urine passageway, then the urine passageway is maintained from the kidney to the bladder, but patient discomfort and pain occur due to bladder-wall irritation and interference with peristaltic action
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the pigtail component from the ureteral stent design. By eliminating the pigtail that causes bladder-wall irritation and discomfort, the patent creates a stent that maintains the urine passageway without the harmful effects of traditional pigtails, directly resolving the technical contradiction between maintaining urine flow and preventing patient discomfort
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a porous polymeric material to form the ureteral stent structure. This porous material allows urine to pass through while providing structural support, maintaining the urine passageway function without requiring a solid occlusive structure that would interfere with peristaltic action and cause discomfort
2Reliability
If a pigtailed ureteral stent is placed in the ureter, then the urine passageway is maintained, but urine reflux occurs from the bladder back into the ureter or kidney due to forced open of the anatomical one-way valve
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the pigtail component that forces open the anatomical one-way valve at the ureterovesical junction. By extracting this element, the patent allows the natural valve mechanism to function properly, preventing urine reflux while still maintaining the urine passageway through the porous stent structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the previously harmful effect of the anatomical one-way valve (which blocked urine flow when forced open by pigtails) into a beneficial feature. By removing the pigtail, the natural valve mechanism is allowed to function as designed, automatically preventing reflux while permitting normal urine flow, thus turning a potential obstacle into a protective feature
3Reliability
If a pigtailed ureteral stent is placed in the ureter, then the urine passageway is maintained, but peristaltic muscular action of the smooth muscle of the ureter is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The porous polymeric structure of the stent allows peristaltic waves to propagate through the material while maintaining structural support for urine flow. The interconnected pores and open architecture enable the transmission of mechanical peristaltic forces, allowing normal ureteral function to continue unimpeded
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible polymeric material that can deform and move with the peristaltic contractions of the ureter. This flexibility allows the stent to accommodate the dynamic peristaltic motion without rigidly constraining the ureter, thereby maintaining peristaltic action while still providing structural support for urine passage
4Ease of manufacture
If a polymeric form is created in the ureter to establish a urine passageway, then the composition can be infused through a ureteroscope or catheter, but the composition must adhere to urothelial tissue and degrade over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes changes in physical and chemical parameters of the polymeric composition. The composition is delivered in a liquid or semi-liquid state that allows easy infusion through catheters, then undergoes phase change or chemical transformation to form a solid porous structure that adheres to tissue, and finally degrades over time through hydrolysis or enzymatic breakdown, thus managing the duration of action through parameter changes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a biodegradable polymeric material designed to be temporary rather than permanent. The stent provides its function of maintaining the urine passageway for a limited period (weeks to months) and then naturally degrades and is eliminated by the body, eliminating the need for removal procedures and reducing long-term complications associated with permanent implants
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 solution provides a comfortable and functional urine passageway that reduces bladder-wall irritation and allows normal ureter function, eliminating the need for pigtail fixation and reducing discomfort by adhering to urothelial tissue and degrading naturally.
Implementation Method 1
a monomer, a pre-polymer, or a mixture thereof configured to commence polymerization into a polymeric form in the ureter when contacted with a fluid
Implementation Method 2
The leachable component is configured to leach from the polymeric form when contacted with a sufficient amount of a same or different fluid
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are compositions, dispensers, and methods thereof for establishing a urine passageway through a ureter. For example, a composition can include, in some embodiments, a primary solid phase and a secondary solid phase. The primary solid phase can include a monomer, a pre-polymer, or a mixture thereof configured to commence polymerization into a polymeric form in the ureter when contacted with a fluid such as urine or saline. The secondary solid phase is dispersed in the primary solid phase. The secondary solid phase can include a leachable component. The leachable component is configured to leach from the polymeric form when contacted with a sufficient amount of a same or different fluid. The leachable component is also configured to form pores of an open-pore network throughout the polymeric form when leached from the polymeric form, thereby establishing the urine passageway through the ureter.