Stretch Valve Balloon Catheter Automatic Deflation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional balloon catheters lack self-regulating or self-deflating safety features, leading to injuries such as urethral tearing during improper placement or removal, and do not prevent over-inflation, which can cause severe bleeding and infections.
Innovation Solution
A balloon catheter with a stretch valve that automatically deflates when over-inflated or when the catheter is pulled out prematurely, featuring a hollow stretch valve positioned in the inflation lumen to prevent fluid passage in a steady state and allow passage in an over-pressurized state, preventing injury by controlling inflation and deflation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a conventional balloon catheter is used without self-regulating features, then the catheter can be manufactured with simple structure, but the catheter causes harmful effects such as urethral tearing and over-inflation injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The stretch valve is pre-configured in the catheter structure to automatically activate when specific conditions are met (over-inflation or excessive pull force), preventing injury before it occurs. The valve remains closed during normal operation and only opens when the stretching force exceeds the safe threshold.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter system performs self-protection through the stretch valve mechanism that automatically detects and responds to dangerous conditions without external intervention. When the balloon is over-inflated or pulled with excessive force, the stretch valve autonomously opens to release pressure and prevent tissue damage.
2Reliability
If a balloon catheter is designed to remain inflated during use, then the catheter can effectively occlude the bladder-urethral junction, but the catheter cannot deflate automatically when removed prematurely causing urethral tearing
Solution Approach 1:
The stretch valve transitions from a static closed state during normal use to an active open state when dangerous forces are detected. The valve dynamically adjusts its state based on the mechanical conditions experienced by the catheter, maintaining occlusion when needed and preventing injury when removed.
Solution Approach 2:
The stretch valve is designed to counteract the harmful effect of premature removal by opening in advance when excessive pull force is detected, releasing the inflated balloon before it can cause urethral tearing during extraction.
3Ease of manufacture
If the balloon wall thickness is kept constant throughout, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the balloon cannot provide controlled deflation at specific locations
Solution Approach 1:
The stretch valve creates a localized functional region within the balloon structure where controlled deflation occurs. While the overall balloon maintains relatively uniform thickness for manufacturing simplicity, the stretch valve region provides a specific location for safety-related pressure release.
4Device complexity
If no safety features are included in the catheter, then the device complexity is minimized, but over-inflation causes severe bleeding and infections
Solution Approach 1:
The stretch valve provides mechanical feedback by responding to pressure and stretching conditions within the catheter system. When the balloon becomes over-inflated or subjected to excessive pull forces, the valve detects these conditions and automatically opens to release pressure, preventing tissue damage.
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 balloon catheter effectively prevents injuries by automatically deflating before causing harm and preventing over-inflation, ensuring safe placement and removal, reducing the risk of bleeding and infections, and providing a visual aid for proper insertion.
Implementation Method 1
in an over-pressurized state, the distal sliding portion slides within the second lumen to permit the inflation fluid to pass through the drainage port and into the second lumen
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a safety urinary catheter comprises a flexible, multi-lumen balloon catheter having a proximal catheter end, a distal catheter tip, a balloon (3642) having proximal and distal balloon ends and defining a balloon interior to be inflated with an inflation fluid, a hollow inflation lumen (3622), a hollow drain lumen (3612) parallel to the inflation lumen (3622), and a balloon deflation port. The balloon (3642) has proximal and distal balloon ends and defines a balloon interior to be inflated with an inflation fluid. The hollow inflation lumen (3622) extends through the catheter to the balloon interior at a balloon inflation port (3624) and towards the distal catheter tip, is shaped to convey the inflation fluid to and from the balloon interior, and has an anchor point (D) adjacent the proximal catheter end. The balloon deflation port (D) is at a stopper point distal of the inflation port (3624) and fluidically connects the inflation lumen (3622) to at least one of the drain lumen (3612) and an environment of the distal catheter tip. The catheter also comprises a stretch valve having a stopper (3636) disposed in the inflation lumen (3622) at a stopper point and shaped to block the inflation lumen at the stopper point when installed therewithin and prevent fluid from passing distally past the stopper point and a connector (3634) connected to the stopper (3636) and to the proximal catheter end at the anchor point, the anchor point and the stopper point defining a given distance. The connector (3634) has a length greater than the given distance, and, when the stopper (3636) is installed removably in the inflation lumen at the stopper point, the stopper prevents the inflation fluid from passing distally past the stopper point and from passing distally out from the inflation lumen or into the drain lumen, and, in a stretched state of the catheter when a length between the proximal catheter end and the proximal balloon end is elongated between approximately 5 percent and approximately 200 percent, the stopper exits the stopper point to permit the inflation fluid to pass therethrough and into at least one of the drain lumen and the environment of the distal catheter tip.