Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block Device with Expandable Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sphenopalatine ganglion block procedures are unpleasant for patients due to medication flowing down the throat and lack of accurate SPG localization without external imaging systems.
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 accurately locate the SPG and prevent medication from flowing down the throat by expanding an expandable member adjacent the choana and delivering medication through a port in the flexible tubular member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional techniques are used to perform sphenopalatine ganglion block, then the procedure can be performed, but the medication flows down the patient's throat causing unpleasantness and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (cannula with expandable member) that acts as a mediator between the medication delivery system and the patient's nasal cavity. The expandable member creates a physical barrier that intercepts medication before it can flow down the throat, while the cannula structure guides medication precisely to the SPG location.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs preliminary action by positioning the expandable member in the nasal cavity before medication administration. This preliminary placement creates a protective barrier and guides the medication flow path, preventing unwanted medication dispersion down the throat before the actual medication delivery occurs.
2Measurement precision
If conventional devices are used without external imaging systems, then the procedure can be performed, but accurate SPG localization is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the device multi-functional by integrating both the SPG localization function and the medication delivery function into a single device. The flexible tubular member with illumination device can navigate the nasal cavity and locate the SPG, while the same device structure then delivers medication through the integrated port, eliminating the need for separate external imaging systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs self-service localization by using its own integrated illumination device and flexible tubular member to navigate and identify the SPG location directly, without requiring external imaging equipment. The device is self-sufficient for both localization and treatment delivery.
3Ease of operation
If medication is applied to the SPG without a delivery device, then the procedure is simple, but the medication is distasteful and exacerbates patient unpleasantness
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible tubular member acts as an intermediary conduit that delivers medication directly to the SPG location, bypassing the patient's taste buds and throat. The medication is applied locally to the ganglion rather than being administered in a form that would be tasted, eliminating the distastefulness issue while maintaining procedural simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices to quickly and accurately locate the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) while performing a sphenopalatine ganglion block procedure that introduces a medication to the SPG. The methods and devices also prevent the medication applied to the SPG from flowing down a patient's throat during the procedure.