Urethral Stricture Treatment Membrane Delivery

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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 trans-urethral urethroplasty method involving a treatment device with a delivery member and a treatment membrane, where the membrane is delivered to the urethral stricture area, secured by an expandable member, and allowed to graft, promoting epithelial function.

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 patent introduces a treatment membrane as an intermediary substance that is delivered to the treatment site via a delivery device. This membrane serves as a scaffold that promotes epithelial cell migration and regeneration, thereby enhancing long-term effectiveness while maintaining the minimally invasive nature of the procedure. The membrane acts as a mediator between the mechanical opening of the stricture and the biological healing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the treatment site by introducing a biocompatible membrane with specific properties (porosity, composition, degradation rate) that facilitate epithelial regeneration. The membrane's parameters are designed to match the physiological environment, promoting cell growth while maintaining structural integrity during the healing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If urethroplasty surgery is performed to treat extreme cases of urethral stricture, then long-term effectiveness and epithelial function are improved, but the invasiveness increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelong-term effectivenessVSAvoidinvasiveness of procedure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment membrane serves as an intermediary that bridges the gap between minimally invasive procedures and traditional urethroplasty. It provides the biological benefits of tissue regeneration and epithelial promotion without requiring the extensive surgical intervention of traditional urethroplasty, thereby achieving similar long-term effectiveness with reduced invasiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a thin film membrane structure that can be delivered through a catheter-based delivery device. This flexible film conforms to the treatment site and provides the necessary biological support for epithelial regeneration, achieving the therapeutic effects of urethroplasty through a minimally invasive film-based approach rather than rigid surgical reconstruction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Reliability

If a treatment membrane is delivered to the treatment area using an expandable delivery member, then the membrane can be securely positioned and grafted to the treatment site, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemembrane positioning and graftingVSAvoiddelivery device structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The delivery device employs an expandable member that transitions from a compressed delivery state to an expanded deployment state. This dynamic transformation allows the device to navigate through the urethra in a compact form and then expand at the treatment site to securely position and deploy the membrane, achieving reliable positioning without requiring a permanently complex device structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The treatment membrane is nested within the expandable delivery member during delivery. The membrane is contained within the compressed structure of the delivery device, allowing it to be transported through the urethra in a compact form. Upon expansion, the membrane is deployed from the nested configuration to the treatment site, simplifying the overall device architecture while ensuring secure positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP2982348B1Apparatus for treating urethral stricture
Publication Date: 2017.10.11 TERUMO KK
  • EP2982348B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2982348B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP2982348B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c

AI summary

A therapeutic device for treating a treatment area of a body lumen includes a delivery member possessing at least one attachment part, and a treatment membrane wrapped on the delivery member and detachably attached to the at least one attachment part of the delivery member