Pulsed Steam Injection Handpiece for Varicose Vein Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing treatments for varicose veins and hemorrhoids via steam injection face challenges such as high energy consumption, costly consumable catheters, inefficient heat transfer, and user discomfort due to heat loss and steam production.
Innovation Solution
A device that transforms water into steam outside the body using a handpiece with differential heating, where the metal tube is only heated at the distal end, allowing for pulsed steam injection into veins with reduced heat loss and reusable semi-consumable components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water is transformed into steam by an electric arc directly in the vein through a catheter, then steam injection treatment is achieved, but the energy consumption is high and the catheter becomes a costly consumable item
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is extracted from the consumable catheter and transferred to a reusable handpiece. The handpiece contains the electrodes and heating mechanism, while the catheter becomes a simple diffusion tube without heating elements, eliminating the need for expensive consumable heating catheters.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into two functional parts: a reusable handpiece containing the heating mechanism and electrodes, and a disposable catheter for steam diffusion. This segmentation allows the expensive heating components to be reused while only the simple catheter is discarded.
2Quantity of substance
If the tube is heated over its entire length to transform water into steam, then steam production is achieved, but heat is lost and the user experiences discomfort when gripping the handpiece
Solution Approach 1:
Heating is applied locally only at the distal end of the handpiece where the catheter enters, rather than along the entire length of the handpiece. This localized heating approach reduces heat loss to the user's hand while maintaining effective steam generation at the treatment site.
Solution Approach 2:
The system operates in pulsed mode, delivering steam in periodic bursts rather than continuous flow. This allows heat to be concentrated at the distal end during each pulse while providing cooling intervals that prevent excessive heat accumulation in the handpiece grip area.
3Productivity
If permanent steam production is maintained to ensure continuous treatment, then treatment coverage is improved, but heating occurs not only for the user but also for the patient's skin
Solution Approach 1:
The steam injection is delivered in periodic pulses rather than continuous flow. Each pulse provides targeted treatment to the vessel while the intervals between pulses allow heat to dissipate, preventing accumulation of excessive heat that could damage surrounding skin tissues.
Solution Approach 2:
Cold water is introduced proximal to the heating zone and flows through the catheter to the distal end. This cold water acts as a thermal buffer, absorbing excess heat during its brief passage and ensuring that the steam reaching the vessel is at the appropriate temperature without overheating the skin.
4Ease of manufacture
If the heating system is miniaturized at the level of tubes in contact with the body to reduce cost, then reusable components are achieved, but the manufacturing precision and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The complex heating system with electrodes and differential heating zones is extracted from the consumable catheter and placed in the reusable handpiece. The catheter itself is simplified to a basic diffusion tube with no heating elements, making it much easier and cheaper to manufacture while maintaining treatment effectiveness.
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 efficient and cost-effective treatment with reduced heat loss, maintaining comfort for the surgeon and preventing tissue damage, while allowing for the treatment of varicose veins and hemorrhoids with minimal risk of necrosis or perforation.
Implementation Method 1
the transformation of water into steam is carried out exclusively at the distal end of said handpiece in an area not in contact with the surgeon's hand
Implementation Method 2
a metal tube in which the cold water is transformed into steam, a distal end of which is wound around it even to form a spiral, and in that the two ends of the tube are connected to an electrical source, the portion of tube between its proximal end and the proximal end of the spiral being sheathed with a material, advantageously a copper braid, having a resistivity such as that only the spiral is able to heat
Implementation Method 3
the portion of tube between its proximal end and the proximal end of the spiral being sheathed with a material, advantageously a copper braid, having a resistivity such as that only the spiral is able to heat
Implementation Method 4
a unit for injecting cold water in pulsed mode into a handpiece, all the elements of the installation being developed and arranged to allow the administration of steam in a pulsed regime
Implementation Method 5
a means for diffusing the vapor in the vessel intended to be reversibly connected to the distal end of the handpiece
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 2
Figure 5~7
AI summary
Equipment for pulsed injection of water vapour into a human or animal vessel, comprising a unit for pulsed injection of cold water in a handpiece, a handpiece which is temporarily attached to the injection unit and within which there is arranged a metal tube with an external diameter of between 200 µm and 1000 µm and an internal diameter of between 100 µm and 500 µm, the metal tube having a distal end that is wound about itself in order to form a coil, the tube being ensheathed by a material with a resistivity which is such that only the coil is heated to a temperature permitting the water to pass from the liquid phase to the vapour phase, and a means for diffusing the vapour in the vessel, which means is designed to be connected reversibly to the distal end of the handpiece.