Sinus Treatment Cannula With Flexible Grinding Wire
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for diagnosing and treating paranasal sinus conditions often involve unnecessary medication and invasive surgical interventions, as symptoms can be unclear and may require surgical procedures like puncturing the sinus bones for diagnosis, which come with complications.
Innovation Solution
A medical device featuring a hollow cannula with a flexible grinding wire that can be inserted through the natural opening of the sinus, allowing for diagnosis and treatment without surgical dilation, equipped with a motor for rotating the wire and an irrigation/aspiration system for fluid flow communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If surgical puncturing or breaking of sinus bones is performed for diagnosis, then the cause of sinusitis can be determined, but the patient is exposed to complications and invasive procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible catheter as an intermediary tool that can navigate through the nasal cavity and natural sinus openings to deliver sampling devices and treatment agents, avoiding direct surgical puncturing of sinus bones while still enabling accurate diagnosis and treatment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical surgical approach (puncturing and breaking bones) with a flexible catheter-based system that uses navigation and natural openings to achieve the same diagnostic and therapeutic goals without invasive bone surgery
2Reliability
If various medications and treatments are administered to treat sinusitis, then the condition may be treated, but the patient is exposed to unnecessary drugs when the actual cause is unclear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables preliminary diagnostic sampling and identification of the actual cause of sinusitis before administering treatment, ensuring that medications are targeted appropriately rather than administered empirically
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates real-time visualization and sampling capabilities that provide feedback on the actual sinus condition, allowing healthcare providers to adjust treatment based on observed findings rather than relying on empirical trial-and-error medication approaches
3Ease of operation
If surgical dilation or expansion is performed to access the sinus, then the sinus can be accessed for treatment, but the procedure becomes more invasive with associated complications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the access pathway into segments, using a flexible catheter that can navigate through the nasal cavity and natural sinus openings in a stepwise manner, avoiding the need for single-step surgical dilation while maintaining access to the sinus cavity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible catheter that can bend and conform to the natural anatomy of the nasal cavity and sinus openings, enabling access through natural pathways without requiring rigid surgical dilation instruments
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
Enables non-invasive diagnosis and treatment of sinus conditions by accessing the sinus through the natural opening, reducing the need for surgical interventions and minimizing exposure to unnecessary medications, while effectively clearing mucus and other materials from the sinus cavity.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible grinding wire movable within the cannula's lumen and configured to be inserted into and retrieved out of the sinus cavity through the cannula's lumen, and to rotate along a longitudinal axis thereof and thereby grind, chop and/or stir material present in the sinus cavity
Implementation Method 2
wherein the cannula is in fluid flow communication with an irrigation/ aspiration source
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
There is provided herein, a device for treating and/or diagnosing a sinus or an ear condition, the device comprising a housing comprising or functionally connected to: a hollow cannula defining a lumen extending at least partially along the length thereof, the cannula is configured to be at least partially inserted through an ostium into a sinus cavity/ear of a subject; and a flexible grinding wire movable within the cannula's lumen and configured to be inserted into and retrieved out of the sinus cavity through the cannula's lumen, and to rotate along a longitudinal axis thereof and thereby grind, chop and/or stir material present in the sinus cavity and/or inside the hollow cannula, wherein the cannula is in fluid flow communication with an irrigation/ aspiration source; and a wire handle functionally connected to the wire, allowing a user to advance and retrieve the wire within the cannula and into and out of the cannula lumen, wherein the device is handheld by a gripping handle