Shear-Thinning Hydrogel for Reversible Birth Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing birth control methods, such as IUDs and Essure devices, face issues like migration, perforation, and irreversible effects, while male birth control techniques like vasectomy are difficult to reverse and carry risks.
Innovation Solution
The use of shear-thinning nanocomposite biomaterials, which can be administered into fallopian tubes, the uterus, or vas deferens, providing reversible birth control by occluding reproductive pathways and allowing for potential therapeutic delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If IUD is inserted to provide reversible birth control, then birth control effectiveness is improved, but device migration and perforation risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the birth control material from solid (IUD) to shear-thinning hydrogel. The hydrogel transitions from injectable fluid state to gel state after administration, eliminating migration risks while maintaining birth control effectiveness through fallopian tube occlusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition of the hydrogel material from liquid (injectable) to gel (occlusive) state. This phase change occurs after injection into the fallopian tubes, where the hydrogel sets to form a stable barrier that prevents both pregnancy and device migration.
2Reliability
If Essure device is used for birth control, then pregnancy prevention is improved, but reversibility and safety worsen due to irreversible effects and tissue damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a hydrogel material whose physical properties can be changed by applying shear stress. The material transitions from gel to liquid state under shear force, enabling reversible removal through injection of shear-thinning solution, unlike the irreversible Essure device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a shear-thinning solution as an intermediary agent that facilitates reversible removal of the hydrogel. This solution temporarily changes the hydrogel's rheological properties, allowing it to be aspirated without surgical intervention.
3Reliability
If vasectomy is performed for male birth control, then sperm blockage is improved, but reversibility and safety worsen due to surgical complexity and complications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs hydraulic principles by injecting the shear-thinning hydrogel through a catheter using fluid pressure. This minimally invasive approach replaces complex surgical procedures with simple fluid delivery, reducing procedural complexity and risks.
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 shear-thinning nanocomposite biomaterials effectively block sperm mobility, provide a reversible method for birth control, and can be used to deliver therapeutic agents, offering a minimally invasive and safer alternative to existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
the biomaterial is a shear-thinning nanocomposite
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of using and imaging shear-thinning biomaterial compositions are provided. More particularly, systems and methods of providing reversible birth control and/or for delivering therapeutics to reproductive organs are provided. A method includes administering a biomaterial into fallopian tubes, uterus, or vas deferens of the subject, where the biomaterial is a shear-thinning nanocomposite.