Steerable Aspiration-Irrigation Catheter for Kidney Stone Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing kidney stones, such as nephrolithotomy and ureteroscopy, are invasive, time-consuming, and inefficient, requiring multiple insertions and posing risks to patients due to anesthesia, infection, and urinary tract irritation.
Innovation Solution
A steerable catheter with integrated suction and irrigation ports is used to align and aspirate kidney stones without removing the catheter, allowing for minimally invasive stone removal through controlled suction and irrigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nephrolithotomy or nephrolithotripsy is used to remove kidney stones, then stone removal is achieved, but the procedure becomes invasive requiring incision, more anesthesia, higher infection risk, and longer recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the stone removal function from invasive surgical procedures by using a basket device that can capture and remove stones through the urethra and bladder, eliminating the need for incisions and reducing invasiveness while maintaining effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter assembly serves multiple functions: it provides visualization through the ureteroscope, stone capture through the basket, and stone removal through coordinated movement, consolidating what were previously separate invasive procedures into a single minimally invasive approach
2Reliability
If ureteroscopy with basket removal is used to remove kidney stones, then stone fragments can be captured, but the procedure becomes time-consuming requiring multiple insertions and removals
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the ureteroscope and basket device into a single integrated catheter assembly, allowing both visualization and stone capture to occur simultaneously through one insertion, eliminating the need for repeated insertions and removals of separate devices
Solution Approach 2:
The basket is pre-positioned within the catheter in a ready-to-capture configuration before insertion, allowing immediate stone capture upon deployment without requiring multiple adjustments or re-insertions, thereby reducing overall procedure time
3Reliability
If repeated insertion and removal of scope and basket is performed, then kidney stones can be removed, but urinary tract irritation increases and patient discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the ureteroscope and basket into a single catheter assembly that remains in place throughout the procedure, the invention eliminates repeated trauma to the urinary tract from multiple insertions and removals, reducing irritation and discomfort while maintaining complete stone removal capability
Solution Approach 2:
The single catheter assembly remains continuously positioned in the urinary tract throughout the entire stone removal process, providing uninterrupted visualization and stone capture capability without requiring removal and re-insertion, thereby minimizing trauma to the urinary tract
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 method enables efficient and less invasive removal of kidney stones by aligning stones with an aspiration port and providing suction, reducing procedure time, anesthesia use, and minimizing urinary tract irritation.
Implementation Method 1
providing suction through the catheter to aspirate the kidney stone from the kidney
Implementation Method 2
providing irrigation through the catheter
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein are systems, devices, and methods for the removal of objects from the body. The device may be a urethral catheter configured to aspirate kidney stones from the urinary tract through one or more aspiration ports at the distal face or along a lateral side of the catheter. The catheter may include one or more irrigation ports at the distal face or along the lateral side of the catheter for dislodging kidney stones. The device may be steerable. The spatial arrangement of the one or more irrigation ports with respect to the one or more aspiration ports may vary. The device may include an irrigation tube and/or a shield member configured to spatially confine the kidney stones adjacent the catheter. Various temporal patterns of aspiration and irrigation are disclosed for optimizing removal of kidney stones.