Ureteral Access Sheath Suction Housing for Stone Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical procedures for removing kidney stones, such as shock wave lithotripsy, transurethral lithotripsy, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy, face challenges like high recurrence rates, long procedure times, and potential patient complications, particularly due to difficulties in accurately capturing and removing stones, especially in narrow and curved urinary tracts.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a housing with a rotatable impeller positioned in an ureteral access sheath, which creates suction to draw stones into the housing for removal, allowing for efficient retrieval and potential relocation of stones for further treatment or expulsion from the body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional lithotripsy methods (ESWL, URS, PCNL) are used to remove kidney stones, then stones can be broken down or removed, but the procedure time becomes excessively long and stone-free rate remains low due to the need to remove crush pieces one by one
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the stone removal process into two distinct phases: (1) fragmentation of stones into smaller pieces using lithotripsy, and (2) simultaneous suction removal of all fragments through the impeller-driven vacuum system. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple stone fragments rather than sequential removal, dramatically reducing procedure time while maintaining high stone-free rates
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the lithotripsy function and stone removal function into a single integrated device. The housing contains both the lithotripsy probe and the impeller-driven suction system, allowing simultaneous stone fragmentation and fragment removal through the same access sheath. This combination eliminates the need for separate removal steps and enables continuous processing of stone fragments
2Adaptability or versatility
If narrow access routes are used to reach stones in the ureter or kidney, then access to difficult-to-reach calculi is achieved, but accurate capture and removal of stones becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs a nested structure where the lithotripsy probe and impeller assembly are housed within a compact housing that passes through a narrow access sheath. The entire assembly (probe + impeller + housing) fits within the constrained access route, yet expands functionality at the target site to provide both fragmentation and reliable suction capture of stones in difficult-to-reach locations
Solution Approach 2:
The impeller-driven suction system acts as an intermediary mechanism that bridges the narrow access route and the stone capture function. By creating a vacuum field through the impeller, the system reliably draws stone fragments into the housing through the limited access opening, ensuring accurate capture even when working through narrow ureteral or percutaneous access paths
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
This approach enhances the efficiency of stone removal, reduces procedure time, and minimizes complications by effectively capturing stones of various sizes, even in challenging anatomical locations, thereby improving the 'stone-free' rate and reducing recurrence.
Implementation Method 1
rotating the impeller in the interior of the housing while the housing is located adjacent the calculus in the lumen of the ureteral access sheath to draw the calculus into the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A method involves positioning a housing in an ureteral access sheath that is positioned in a lumen in a living body, moving the housing toward calculus located in the ureteral access sheath, positioning the housing in the ureteral access sheath adjacent the calculus in the ureteral access sheath, drawing the calculus in the ureteral access sheath through the inlet and into the housing by suction in the interior of the housing, and removing the housing from the ureteral access sheath while the calculus remains in the housing.