Segmented Catheter Balloons for Targeted Brachytherapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current brachytherapy catheters cause discomfort to patients due to the need to inflate the entire catheter to keep the body cavity open, leading to increased exposure of normal tissues to radiation and subsequent side effects, and existing technologies do not effectively reduce the radiation exposure area or patient discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A catheter apparatus with multiple fluid-flow pipe members and independent positioning members that can be inflated to different extents to conform to the body cavity shape, reducing discomfort and minimizing normal tissue exposure by allowing the radioactive source to be placed within or between positioning members, thereby reducing the radiation exposure area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the whole section of the catheter is inflated to keep the body cavity open, then the cavity remains open for radioactive source delivery, but patient discomfort increases and normal tissue exposure to radiation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into multiple segments with independent positioning members (balloons) that can be inflated separately. This segmentation allows only the necessary portions of the catheter to be inflated for source delivery, rather than inflating the entire catheter, thereby reducing patient discomfort and normal tissue radiation exposure while maintaining cavity openness where needed.
2Productivity
If high-dose rate brachytherapy is used, then treatment time is short and patient comfort is improved, but radiation damage to normal cells increases and side effects worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning members are inflated to different extents based on local requirements of the body cavity shape and tumor location. This allows the radioactive source to be precisely positioned within or between specific positioning members, concentrating the radiation dose on the tumor while minimizing exposure to surrounding normal tissues, thus reducing side effects even during high-dose rate treatment.
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 catheter apparatus reduces patient discomfort and minimizes normal tissue exposure to radiation by conforming to the body cavity shape, thereby decreasing the area of radiation exposure and associated side effects compared to conventional catheters.
Implementation Method 1
multiple fluid-flow pipe members and independent positioning members that can be inflated to different extents to conform to the body cavity shape
Data Source
AI summary
The present application relates to a catheter apparatus including a tubular member, and four or more fluid-flow pipe members, each having a proximal end and a distal end, and each being disposed around a periphery of the tubular member along an axial direction thereof. Each of the four or more fluid-flow pipe members is provided with an independent positioning member at the distal end thereof, and the number of positioning members is four or more. A brachytherapy system and a method of reducing area of radiation exposure of normal tissue in a brachytherapy treatment using the catheter apparatus are also disclosed.