Weeping Balloon Catheter Single Lumen Drug Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing weeping balloon catheters face challenges in efficiently delivering therapeutic drugs to specific areas within the body while maintaining a low profile and effectively dilating vessels, as they require separate lumens for inflation and drug delivery, which can complicate the procedure and increase the device's size.
Innovation Solution
A weeping balloon catheter design featuring a dilation balloon with a fluid communication channel and a flow restriction member that allows for fluid communication and drug delivery through a single liquid delivery lumen, enabling the balloon to be inflated with a therapeutic agent while controlling the release of the drug, using various types of valves such as check, pressure actuated, and flow actuated valves to manage fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate lumens are used for inflation and drug delivery in weeping balloon catheters, then drug delivery function is achieved, but device complexity and profile size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the inflation lumen and drug delivery lumen into a single integrated lumen that serves both functions. The dilation balloon is designed with a porous wall that allows the therapeutic agent to seep through during inflation, eliminating the need for separate drug delivery lumens and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining both inflation and drug delivery capabilities
2Reliability
If separate lumens are used for inflation and drug delivery, then complete fluid communication is achieved, but loss of therapeutic agent increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow restriction member is positioned within the single lumen to control and regulate the flow of therapeutic agent. By preliminarily restricting the flow path, the system ensures complete fluid communication is maintained while preventing premature or uncontrolled loss of the therapeutic agent through the porous balloon wall
3Device complexity
If a single lumen is used for both inflation and drug delivery, then device profile is reduced, but control of fluid flow becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The flow restriction member acts as an intermediary element within the single lumen, mediating between the need for compact device profile and the need for precise fluid flow control. This component enables independent control of inflation and drug delivery functions while maintaining a reduced device profile
Data Source
AI summary
A weeping balloon catheter includes a catheter having an elongate tubular body defining a medical device lumen and a liquid delivery lumen. A dilation balloon is disposed at a distal end of the elongate tubular body and is in fluid communication with the liquid delivery lumen. The dilation balloon includes a fluid communication channel through an outer wall of the dilation balloon. A flow restriction member is positioned along the fluid communication channel and has an open position permitting fluid communication along the fluid communication channel and a closed position blocking fluid communication along the fluid communication channel. A drug delivery path of the weeping balloon catheter is defined by the liquid delivery lumen and the dilation balloon.