Modified Pusher for Stent Bead Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stent removal procedures are complex and often require general anesthesia, and existing methods for removing shortened stents with tethered beads from the ureter can irritate the ureter and require specialized instruments and endoscopic visualization.
Innovation Solution
A pusher apparatus with a hollow tube and a peripheral opening near the distal end that allows for the insertion of a shortened stent with a tethered bead, enabling the bead to remain in the bladder and avoid being pushed past the ureteral orifice, reducing irritation and simplifying the insertion process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional stent removal procedure is used, then the stent can be removed, but the procedure is complex and requires general anesthesia
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the bead from the ureter and retains it in the bladder, separating the retrieval function from the stent removal process. This allows the stent to be removed without the complex positioning procedures previously required
Solution Approach 2:
The bead acts as an intermediary object that facilitates stent removal. By retaining the bead in the bladder and using it as an anchor point, the procedure is simplified and does not require general anesthesia or complex endoscopic visualization
2Ease of operation
If a shortened stent with tethered bead is used, then stent removal is simplified, but the bead must be pushed past the ureteral orifice which irritates the ureter
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pushing the bead through the ureteral orifice as in conventional methods, this invention inverts the approach by having the bead remain in the bladder and pulling the stent through the ureter while the bead stays behind. This eliminates ureteral irritation while maintaining procedural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The bead is extracted from the ureteral pathway and retained in the bladder, removing the source of ureteral irritation while preserving its function as a retrieval anchor
3Measurement precision
If a positioning line is used to withdraw the bead from the ureter, then the bead can be positioned correctly, but the procedure becomes more complex and requires endoscopic visualization
Solution Approach 1:
The invention eliminates the need for positioning lines and endoscopic visualization by extracting the bead from the ureteral pathway. The bead remains in the bladder where it can be easily visualized and manipulated without complex instrumentation
Solution Approach 2:
The bead serves its own positioning function by remaining in the bladder where it naturally anchors the stent. No additional positioning lines or endoscopic tools are required, as the system self-regulates through the bead's position in the bladder
Data Source
AI summary
Placement of a stent having a tethered ferromagnetic bead may be facilitated with a modified pusher having an opening at the distal end of the pusher to receive the tethered ferromagnetic bead. The ferromagnetic bead may be positioned within the bladder whereby a tether connection to a shortened stent ending within the ureter may be used to reduce the likelihood of patient irritation. The bead, tether, and stent assembly may be advanced into the patient as a unit along a conventional guide wire and using a conventional cystoscope.