Transvaginal Sling Delivery Device for Urinary Incontinence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating urinary incontinence through sling placement are not universally applicable and often require invasive procedures, such as cystoscopy and bone anchoring, which can be risky and traumatic for patients.
Innovation Solution
A trans-vaginal, prepubic approach using a delivery device with guide tubes and a shaft to place a supportive sling in the periurethral tissue, avoiding the need for cystoscopy and bone anchors, and allowing for reduced trauma and more precise placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional bone anchoring approaches are used for sling placement, then the sling can be affixed and stabilized, but the procedure becomes more invasive and traumatic for the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the bone anchoring component from the sling placement procedure. The sling is delivered and positioned in the periurethral tissue without requiring attachment to bone structures, thereby removing the trauma associated with bone penetration and anchoring while maintaining sling stabilization through tissue integration
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a delivery device with guide tubes as an intermediary tool that enables non-invasive sling placement. The guide tubes facilitate precise delivery of the sling to the target location through the vaginal wall without requiring direct bone access, serving as a mediator between the external delivery system and the internal target site
2Measurement precision
If cystoscopy is performed during sling placement, then the surgeon can visualize the urethra, but the procedure becomes more invasive and risky
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the cystoscopy step from the surgical procedure. By using a transvaginal approach with guide tubes, the surgeon can directly visualize and access the periurethral tissue without needing to insert a cystoscope into the bladder, thereby removing the risks of bladder puncture and urethral trauma while maintaining adequate visualization
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of approaching the urethra from the bladder end (as in cystoscopy), the invention inverts the approach by accessing the periurethral tissue from the vaginal wall. This reverse approach allows direct placement of the sling at the target location without requiring bladder entry or cystoscopic visualization
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a trans-vaginal, prepubic approach is used for sling delivery, then the procedure is less invasive, but precise placement becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces guide tubes as intermediary tools that extend through the vaginal wall to the precise target location in the periurethral tissue. These guide tubes act as railroads that constrain and guide the sling delivery, ensuring accurate placement at the intended site while maintaining the non-invasive transvaginal approach
Solution Approach 2:
The guide tubes are inserted and positioned in the target location before the sling is delivered. This preliminary action creates a pre-established pathway that ensures the sling will be placed precisely at the desired location, eliminating the need for complex real-time navigation during sling insertion
Data Source
AI summary
The invention, in various embodiments, is directed to systems, devices, and methods relating to pre-pubic approaches to delivering a supportive sling to periurethral tissue of a patient.