Soluble-Coated Composite Material for Controlled In-Body Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing composite materials with a substrate and hydrogel bonded by an insulating polymer are difficult to deliver and mount in a living body due to their large volume.
Innovation Solution
The composite material is coated with a soluble component such as a water-soluble, temperature-sensitive, or pH-sensitive compound, allowing it to be reduced in volume by drying or folding, and then expanded to its original shape at the mount site by dissolving the soluble component, optionally with exothermic particles for controlled swelling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the composite material is delivered in its original form, then it maintains its functional structure, but it cannot pass through narrow areas due to its large volume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by utilizing the temperature-sensitive solubility of gelatin. The coating material transitions from a dissolved state at high temperature (allowing small volume delivery) to a gelated state at low temperature (maintaining functional structure at destination). This parameter change resolves the contradiction between volume reduction for delivery and structural integrity for function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs phase transitions of the gelatin coating material. At high temperature, the gelatin is in a dissolved liquid phase, allowing the composite material to be compressed to a small volume for delivery through narrow areas. Upon cooling at the mount site, the gelatin undergoes phase transition to a gelated solid phase, restoring the composite material to its original functional structure and volume.
2Volume of moving object
If the composite material is compressed to small volume for delivery, then it can be delivered to narrow sites, but it swells immediately upon contact with moisture during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces gelatin as an intermediary coating material that mediates between the composite material and the aqueous environment. The gelatin coating acts as a temporary barrier that prevents immediate swelling of the composite material upon contact with moisture during transport. This intermediary layer can be removed or dissolved at the destination, allowing the composite material to swell to its functional size without premature expansion during delivery.
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 coated composite material can be delivered to a narrow site in a living body without immediate swelling during transport and can be precisely controlled to swell at the mount site using body fluids, temperature, or pH changes, facilitating easy delivery and mounting.
Implementation Method 1
coated with the soluble component such as water-soluble compound, temperature-sensitive soluble compound, or pH sensitive soluble compound
Implementation Method 2
the composite material in which the volume is reduced, may be swelled by contacting with moisture
Implementation Method 3
The coated composite material contains exothermic particles, and whereby the temperature-sensitive soluble compound may be dissolved by heating
Data Source
Figure 1(A)~2
Figure 3(A)~3(B)
Figure 4(A)~5(C)
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a composite material that may be easily delivered and mounted in the living body. The object can be solved by a coated composite material characterized in that a composite material, in which a porous body is bounded to a substrate, is coated with at least one soluble component selected from a group consisting of a water-soluble compound, a temperature-sensitive soluble compound, and a pH sensitive soluble compound.