Wharton's Jelly Extraction Device for Cleft Palate Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for cleft palate, such as autologous bone grafting, are invasive and come with complications like infection and nerve damage, while using biomaterials seeded with bone marrow stem cells is too invasive for newborns, necessitating alternative strategies for effective and non-invasive repair.
Innovation Solution
The extraction and processing of Wharton's Jelly from umbilical cords using specialized devices and methods to create a natural biomaterial scaffold seeded with the patient's own stem cells, which can be used for tissue engineering in cleft palate repair and other applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If autologous bone grafting is used for cleft palate repair, then stable repair is achieved, but invasive procedures and complications such as infection and nerve damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and utilizes Wharton's Jelly from the umbilical cord, separating the beneficial stem cell-containing tissue from the rest of the cord. This extracted biomaterial is then processed into a graft substitute that provides the regenerative benefits without the morbidity of traditional bone harvesting procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs the patient's own Wharton's Jelly stem cells to repair the cleft palate, making the body's own tissue serve the healing function. This autologous approach eliminates the need for separate donor sites and utilizes the patient's inherent regenerative capacity.
2Reliability
If bone marrow stem cells are used for cleft palate repair, then promising regenerative results are achieved, but invasive harvest procedures are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts Wharton's Jelly from the umbilical cord, which is typically discarded after birth. This extraction provides a non-invasive source of stem cells compared to bone marrow harvest, as the umbilical cord is already present and accessible at birth without requiring additional invasive procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the source parameter from bone marrow (requiring invasive needle puncture and suction) to umbilical cord Wharton's Jelly (accessible via simple incision and dissection). This parameter change maintains stem cell quality while dramatically reducing procedural invasiveness.
3Quantity of substance
If traditional umbilical cord processing methods are used, then Wharton's Jelly can be obtained, but blood vessels are damaged and tissue integrity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a tapered rod as an intermediary tool that is inserted into the blood vessel lumen. This rod acts as a mediator between the cutting blade and the blood vessel, allowing the blade to cut the umbilical cord tissue while the rod protects the blood vessel from being severed. The radial space between the rod and blade cutting edge ensures the blood vessel remains intact.
Solution Approach 2:
The blood vessel's own lumen structure is utilized to guide the placement of the tapered rod. The rod is inserted through the natural opening of the blood vessel, and the vessel's cylindrical shape provides the pathway and positioning mechanism, eliminating the need for additional clamping or securing devices that might compromise tissue integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices and methods for extraction and processing of substantia gelatinea funiculi umbilicalis (Wharton's Jelly) from an umbilical cord.