Bio-absorbable Strand with Rough Surface for Radioactive Seed Anchoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Radioactive seed implants in cancer treatment face challenges in maintaining accurate placement, as existing technologies fail to prevent seeds from shifting or sliding away from their intended positions, leading to potential underdosing of cancer and overdosing of surrounding tissues.

Innovation Solution

A bio-absorbable strand with a rough outer surface, featuring prongs, ridges, grooves, or texture, is used to secure radioactive seeds in place, preventing movement and ensuring accurate delivery of radiation treatment by anchoring within the patient's tissue.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If smooth strands are used for radioactive seed implantation, then the implantation process is simple, but the seeds shift and slide from their intended positions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseed placement accuracyVSAvoidstrand surface structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The strand features a rough outer surface with prongs, ridges, and grooves that create localized anchoring points within the tissue, while the inner surface remains smooth to facilitate seed movement during implantation. This local quality differentiation allows the strand to both secure itself in tissue and guide seeds to their intended positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The prongs and ridges on the strand surface create curved, irregular geometries that better conform to the natural contours of tissue, enhancing mechanical interlocking and preventing strand migration. The curved surfaces of prongs provide optimal engagement with surrounding tissue structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Reliability

If rough strands with prongs are used to prevent shifting, then seed placement accuracy improves, but the strand may not be easily dispensed from the implant needle

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrand anchoring capabilityVSAvoidstrand dispensing from needle

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The prongs are designed to be flexible and collapsible during the implantation process, allowing them to compress within the needle lumen for easy dispensing. Once deployed in tissue, the prongs expand to their full rough configuration, maximizing anchoring capability. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between easy dispensing and effective anchoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The prongs are nested within the strand body during storage and implantation, similar to nested dolls. This nesting allows the rough surface features to be compacted within the smooth outer envelope of the strand, enabling easy passage through the needle while maintaining the anchoring structure for post-implantation security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Manufacturing precision

If spacers are used to separate radioactive seeds, then radiation dose distribution improves, but the strand structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseed spacing accuracyVSAvoidstrand component count

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The spacers are merged with the strand itself, forming an integrated structure where the rough surface features serve dual purposes: anchoring the strand in tissue and providing spacing between radioactive seeds. This merging eliminates the need for separate spacer components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining precise seed spacing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The rough surface features of the strand serve multiple functions simultaneously: they anchor the strand in tissue, provide structural support, and act as spacers between radioactive seeds. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall device while achieving precise dose distribution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 bio-absorbable strand effectively secures radioactive seeds, reducing the risk of migration and ensuring precise radiation delivery to the intended area, thereby enhancing treatment efficacy and minimizing complications.

Implementation Method 1

The outer surface of the strand is rough or irregular, which enables the strand to be secured inside a patient

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

The body of a bio-absorbable strand encloses one or more radioactive seeds

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBiological absorption: Absorption (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS9174028B2Rough bio-absorbable strands for seed placement

Publication Date: 2015.11.03 POSITIVE ENERGY

AI summary

A rough, bio-absorbable strand is provided. More specifically, a bio-absorbable strand having a central body and a rough or irregular outer surface capable of securing the placement of the strand inside a patient is provided. The strand has one or more radioactive seeds embedded in the central body of the strand. The rough outer surface of the strand may include one or more prongs, ridges, strips, grooves, or texture. Additionally, the strand may be capable of being dispensed from an implant needle.