Implantable Pump Sustains BMP Delivery to Bone Carrier Matrix
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Solution Overview
Problem
Osteoinductive factors in bone growth promotion systems are prone to degradation, reducing efficacy over time, especially in slow bone growth scenarios such as closed fractures or in patients with co-morbidities like smoking, diabetes, or steroid use.
Innovation Solution
A pump system is used to deliver therapeutic agents to a carrier matrix implanted at a bone growth site, which can be internal or external, to maintain consistent delivery of osteoinductive factors and enhance bone growth by minimizing degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If osteoinductive factors are impregnated into the carrier matrix during surgery, then bone growth is promoted at the target site, but the therapeutic efficacy diminishes over time due to degradation from acids, enzymes and other compounds
Solution Approach 1:
A pump system acts as an intermediary device to deliver osteoinductive factors directly to the carrier matrix at the target site. The pump includes a reservoir containing the osteoinductive factors and a delivery mechanism that transports them to the matrix, protecting the factors from degradation in the surrounding tissue environment while maintaining sustained availability at the implant site.
Solution Approach 2:
The osteoinductive factors are pre-loaded into a reservoir of the pump system before implantation. The pump is then implanted and automatically delivers the factors to the carrier matrix over time, eliminating the need for repeated surgical interventions to replenish the factors and ensuring consistent therapeutic levels are maintained throughout the bone healing process.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If a pump system is used to deliver therapeutic agents to the carrier matrix, then sustained delivery and bone growth promotion efficacy are maintained over time, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system is integrated with the carrier matrix implant as a combined device. The pump reservoir, delivery mechanism, and carrier matrix function together as a unified system, reducing the need for separate components and simplifying the overall implant procedure while maintaining sustained delivery capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump system is designed to operate autonomously after implantation, using passive mechanisms such as osmotic pressure or mechanical deformation to deliver the osteoinductive factors without requiring external power sources or complex control systems. This self-service capability reduces device complexity while ensuring reliable sustained delivery.
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 pump system ensures sustained delivery of therapeutic agents to the carrier matrix, maintaining bone growth promotion efficacy over time, even in conditions with slow bone growth or co-morbidities.
Implementation Method 1
A pump system is used to deliver therapeutic agents to a carrier matrix implanted at a bone growth site
Data Source
AI summary
A pump to deliver bone-growth factors to a carrier matrix within a patient. Pump can be internal or external. With external pumps, additional amounts of the same growth factor may be added, or the bioactive agent may be changed during the course of treatment. An external pump permits the use of cells to promote bone growth. The pump can have several reservoirs and the pump can itself be received in the carrier matrix with an outlet tube or other structure to defuse the growth factors into the carrier matrix. The pump protocol can be used for slow-to-heal fractures, such as closed fractures, and can be used for slow-to-heal patients.