Split Overtube Assembly with Textured Balloon Anchoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional endoscopes face challenges in navigating irregular anatomy and small bowel examinations due to slipping issues with smooth balloons, leading to incomplete procedures and potential damage to the gastrointestinal tract, and require overtubes to be inserted before procedures, necessitating restarts if initially not used.
Innovation Solution
A split overtube assembly with a flexible tubular body featuring a primary and secondary lumen, and an inflatable balloon with textured surfaces to enhance friction and adhesion within the gastrointestinal tract, allowing for controlled engagement and disengagement during medical procedures without requiring overtube insertion before the endoscope.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If smooth latex-like balloons are used in conventional DBE procedures, then the balloons are easy to manufacture and insert, but they have low friction with the GI tract wall causing premature slipping and inability to properly advance the scope
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon surface is modified with localized textured regions featuring protrusions that increase friction specifically at the contact interface with the GI tract wall, while the rest of the balloon maintains its original smooth properties for ease of manufacture and insertion
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon is constructed using composite material structures combining smooth latex-like base material with textured surface layers or coatings that provide enhanced friction properties, achieving both manufacturability and reliable anchoring
2Reliability
If over-inflation of balloons is used to increase friction with the wall, then friction is improved, but damage to the patient's GI tract can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The textured surface with protrusions concentrates friction forces at specific localized contact points rather than distributing pressure across the entire balloon surface, enabling sufficient anchoring reliability at lower inflation pressures and reducing the risk of GI tract damage
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon surface geometry is modified with protrusions of specific height and distribution patterns that optimize the friction coefficient, allowing the balloon to achieve reliable anchoring at controlled, safe inflation pressures without requiring excessive pressure that could cause tissue damage
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional tubular overtubes are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the enteroscope must be inserted through the overtube before patient insertion, requiring procedure restarts if overtube is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The overtube is divided into segmented sections that can be independently manipulated and positioned, allowing the enteroscope to be inserted first and the overtube components to be subsequently attached or advanced around it, providing insertion flexibility without requiring complete procedure restarts
Solution Approach 2:
The overtube structure incorporates dimensional variations such as expandable sections or multi-layer configurations that allow it to transition from a compact state for initial insertion to an expanded functional state, enabling adaptability in insertion sequences while maintaining manageable structural complexity
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 split overtube assembly with textured balloons improves the reliability of endoscope advancement, reduces procedure restarts, and enhances patient comfort by providing better anchoring within the gastrointestinal tract, facilitating more successful and complete medical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
These materials have a low coefficient of friction, especially with the soft, mucous covered wall of the small bowel, colon, and other portions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The low coefficient of friction can cause the balloon to slip prematurely
Data Source
AI summary
An overtube assembly for use with an elongate medical includes a flexible tubular body having a proximal end and a distal end, the flexible tubular body including a tube split extending longitudinally from the proximal end to the distal end. The flexible tubular body defines each of a primary lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end and accessible through the tube split and a secondary lumen separate from the primary lumen.