Sinus Medication Delivery Device with Choana Balloon
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for treating sinus diseases often result in side effects such as cutaneous rash, diarrhea, bacterial resistance, adrenal suppression, weight gain, and sleep disturbance, and the trans-nasal delivery of medication can lead to aspiration and unpleasant taste, with existing devices failing to accurately and efficiently target paranasal sinuses.
Innovation Solution
A surgical device with a handle, inflation device, flexible tubular member, expandable member, and illumination device is inserted into the nasal cavity to deliver medication directly to the paranasal sinuses, preventing flow down the throat by expanding at the choana and collapsing after medication delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If medication is delivered via trans-nasal route, then sinus disease treatment is achieved, but medication flows down the throat causing aspiration
Solution Approach 1:
An expandable member (balloon) is introduced as an intermediary element within the nasal cavity to physically block the flow path of medication from the sinus cavity toward the throat. The balloon acts as a mediator that prevents direct contact between the delivered medication and the pharyngeal region, thereby eliminating aspiration risk while maintaining treatment effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable member is inflated in advance before medication delivery to establish a protective barrier in the correct position. This preliminary action creates the blocking structure ahead of time, ensuring that when medication is introduced through the sinus cavity, it cannot flow down the throat because the barrier is already in place.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If expandable member is inflated to block throat flow, then aspiration is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inflation mechanism is merged with the handle assembly, combining the blocking function and the actuation mechanism into a single integrated unit. The inflation lumen is incorporated into the flexible tubular member structure, allowing the balloon to be inflated through the same access point used for medication delivery, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible tubular member serves multiple functions: it acts as the delivery conduit for medication, the inflation conduit for the blocking balloon, and the structural support element. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining aspiration prevention capability.
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 device allows for precise and effective delivery of medication to sinus cavities, reducing side effects associated with systemic treatments and minimizing aspiration, while ensuring the medication reaches the target area without flowing down the throat.
Implementation Method 1
The expandable member is inflatable and collapsible. The flexible tubular member and expandable member may be inserted into a nasal cavity of a patient through a nostril. The expandable member is expanded adjacent to a choana of the patient. The flexible tubular member and expandable member may be used to deliver a medication to a paranasal sinus of the patient.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices to quickly and accurately apply medication to a paranasal sinus are disclosed. Additionally, the methods and devices prevent the medication applied to a paranasal sinus from flowing down a patient's throat by expanding, using an inflation lumen of a device, an expandable member of the device adjacent to the patient's choana.