Urethral Stricture Treatment Membrane Delivery System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current minimally invasive treatments for urethral stricture do not effectively promote long-term epithelial function at the treatment site, limiting their effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

A treatment device with a delivery member and a treatment membrane is used to deliver buccal mucosa or other biocompatible sheets to the urethral stricture area, where it is secured by an expandable member to facilitate grafting and promote epithelial healing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If minimally invasive procedures (dilation, stent implantation, urethrotomy) are used to treat urethral stricture, then the invasiveness is reduced and patient recovery is faster, but the long-term effectiveness is limited because they do not promote epithelial function at the treatment site

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinvasiveness of procedureVSAvoidlong-term effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment membrane is prepared and positioned at the treatment site before the actual therapeutic action begins. The delivery member is advanced through the urethra to the stricture area, and the membrane is then deployed to cover the treatment site, preparing the surface for subsequent epithelial growth and healing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A treatment membrane serves as an intermediary substance between the damaged urethral tissue and the healing process. This membrane provides a scaffold that promotes epithelial cell migration and growth, mediating the regeneration of healthy tissue at the stricture site while maintaining the minimally invasive nature of the procedure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If a treatment membrane is delivered to the treatment area using a delivery member, then the treatment membrane can be positioned precisely at the stricture site, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracy of treatment membraneVSAvoidcomplexity of delivery device
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment membrane is nested within or attached to the delivery member, which itself is inserted through an elongated member or catheter system. This nested configuration allows the treatment membrane to be delivered through the urethra in a compact form and then deployed at the target site, achieving precise positioning without requiring an overly complex external delivery system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP2982347B1Apparatus for treating urethral stricture
Publication Date: 2017.10.11 TERUMO KK
  • EP2982347B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2982347B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP2982347B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c

AI summary

A treatment device for treating a treatment area of a body lumen includes an elongated member insertable into the body lumen, a delivery member guidable along a longitudinal axis of the elongated member, and a treatment part for contacting the treatment area, wherein the delivery member is configured to deliver the treatment part to the treatment area.