West China Hospital Licenses 1.2 Million RMB Magnetic Navigation Urological Technology for Complex Ureteral Strictures

Recently, West China Hospital of Sichuan University released a public notice on the transfer of patent rights, proposing to transfer a patent titled“Magnetic Navigation-Based Rigid Ureteroscope System”authorized invention patents, transferred to industry partners through negotiated pricing, with a proposed transaction price of RMB1.2 million yuan. The inventors of the patent proposed for technology transfer are from the Department of Urology, West China HospitalProfessor Wei Xinand his/her team.

The patents proposed for transfer in this instance present a novel surgical navigation solution:The system achieves precise orientation through the magnetic attraction between a magnetic probe and a parent magnet, enabling intuitive guidance for recanalizing the atretic segment of the ureter. The cannula-assisted installation and removal mechanism designed in this patent significantly improves surgical efficiency. It offers clinical advantages, including reduced patient radiation exposure, shortened operative time, and lowered technical difficulty, thereby providing a novel technical approach for the minimally invasive treatment of complex ureteral strictures.

In clinical practice, for patients with ureteral stenosis or even complete obliteration, transurethral ureteroscopic ureteral stent implantation, i.e.,Endoluminal Ureteral Recanalization Technique, is a common minimally invasive treatment method. For patients with unclear conditions of stenosis or atresia segments, doctors generally perform antegrade urography before or during the surgery.

This examination involves injecting contrast medium through a pre-placed nephrostomy tube to clearly visualize the morphological structure of the urinary tract. Occasionally, it is combined with retrograde urethrography via the urethra to more intuitively determine the length and location of the atretic segment.

However, whether it is the antegrade contrast X-ray plain film taken preoperatively or the real-time fluoroscopy performed intraoperatively with a C-arm machine, both can only present two-dimensional planar images from a single direction, primarily from a superior view. This makes it difficult for physicians to determine the specific course of the atretic segment of the ureter in the lateral aspect, i.e., on the sagittal plane.

For patients with long-segment occlusion, surgeons often face a dilemma during the procedure:

One approach involves performing “blind exploration” using a ureteral guidewire, attempting to penetrate scar tissue based on tactile feedback, and requiring prolonged activation of the C-arm fluoroscope for real-time X-ray guidance to aid in decision-making, which exposes both patients and medical staff to significant radiation.

Another approach involves directly using a holmium laser fiber to ablate portions of the scar tissue in an attempt to establish a patent lumen. However, due to the lack of precise lateral navigation, there is a high risk of damaging the ureter’s originally healthy structures or even perforating the ureteral wall during blind exploration or laser ablation. Should such complications occur, they may mildly increase surgical difficulty and duration, or severely result in significant ureteral injury or the formation of abnormal fistulas with adjacent pelvic organs, such as the intestine. Consequently, some patients require intraoperative termination of the procedure to avoid more serious risks.

Currently, another technology applied in this field is magnetic compression anastomosis. Its principle involves utilizing the strong attractive force between magnets to gradually draw together a "child" magnet and a "parent" magnet, which are placed at the two ends of the occluded segment, respectively, ultimately recanalizing the occlusion through compression.

However, this technique is not foolproof. Clinical observations have revealed that due to variations in the strength of individual tissue scarring, the occluded segment fails to be successfully recanalized in some patients after magnet implantation.

At this point, a thorny issue arises:The maternal magnet placed via the nephrostomy tract often cannot be removed through the body’s natural urethral lumen.

What makes the situation even more challenging is that patients who opt for magnetic compression anastomosis or complex endovascular recanalization often suffer from severe adhesions and disorganized tissue architecture in the abdominal or pelvic cavity due to multiple prior major surgeries. This renders subsequent open surgery for magnet removal highly impractical and associated with significant risk.

Following treatment failure, these patients are often left with no choice but to maintain long-term nephrostomy tubes for urinary drainage and must live permanently with retained magnetic foreign bodies, significantly compromising their quality of life.

To address the therapeutic challenge of long-segment ureteral atresia, there is an urgent clinical need for a navigation solution that enables precise, minimally invasive intervention and safe retrieval.

The patent-relatedMagnetic Navigation-Based Electronic Rigid Ureteroscope System, with its core advantage lying in the innovativeIntegrating Active Magnetic Guidance with Endoscopic Visualization, providing an unprecedentedly precise, minimally invasive, and safe comprehensive solution to the clinical challenge of long-segment ureteral atresia. This system has completely transformed the outdated paradigm in traditional surgery that relied on two-dimensional X-ray imaging for “blind exploration.”

The system’s advanced nature is primarily reflected in its ability toReal-time, intuitive 3D spatial navigationDuring the procedure, the surgeon preoperatively placed a ring-shaped parent magnet at one end of the ureteral atretic segment via the nephrostomy tract under guidewire guidance. Subsequently, a rigid electronic ureteroscope integrated with a specialized magnetic probe was introduced transurethrally until it reached the other end of the atretic segment.

When the physician uses the push-plate mechanism on the instrument to extend the magnetic probe from the distal end of the scope, the probe is immediately attracted and deflected due to the strong magnetic attraction between the probe and the distant parent magnet. This deflection is transmitted through a flexible conical tip, causing the distal end of the probe to accurately orient toward and closely appose the wall of the occluded vessel.

By leveraging the electronic eyepiece at the distal end of the endoscope, physicians can clearly visualize this orientation. Since magnetic field lines in space point toward the parent magnet, the direction indicated by the magnetic probe corresponds to the precise location of the parent magnet at the opposite end of the occluded segment. This enables accurate “visualization” of the recanalization pathway within three-dimensional space, effectively equipping physicians with a real-time, physics-based magnetic “GPS navigation” system for their procedures.

Another major innovation lies inDesign for Controllability and Retrievability of the Mother Magnet Guidance Device. In existing magnetic compression techniques, once the parent magnet is implanted into the body, it is difficult to retrieve if the treatment fails. In contrast, the parent magnet used in this system is pre-attached to a flexible cannula, with both components threaded over a guidewire. This design makes the placement and retrieval of the parent magnet controllable and convenient. During placement, it can be precisely advanced along the guidewire to the target location.

More critically, when the procedure is completed or if treatment fails and device retrieval is required, the physician need only gently withdraw the cannula externally to safely retract the parent magnet along the original path of the guidewire, thereby completely eliminating the risk of permanent foreign body retention. This mechanism significantly reduces the overall surgical risk and broadens the applicability of this technology.

Furthermore, this system is not merely a collection of functions but a highly integrated intelligent operational platform. The tip of the rigid electronic ureteroscope features an adjustable-angle design, allowing physicians to manipulate the distal lens to bend upward or downward via a gear-driven mechanism at the proximal end. This capability enables physicians to obtain optimal visualization even within narrow or irregular anatomical cavities, such as ileal neobladders.

Meanwhile, the instrument channel allows physicians to insert tools such as holmium laser fibers for precise procedures under real-time navigation by a magnetic probe.Magnetic navigation provides directional guidance, electronic endoscopy offers visual field, and laser toolsResponsible for facilitating connectivity,The three components work in seamless synergy, transforming originally high-risk, highly challenging exploratory surgeries into streamlined procedures with clear objectives and well-defined steps.

In summary, the advanced nature of this patented technology is reflected in itsAdopting a tripartite design featuring “real-time magnetic guidance, reversible retrieval of the parent magnet, and flexible endoscopic manipulation”, systematically addressing core clinical challenges in the treatment of long-segment ureteral atresia, including imprecise targeting, excessive risk, and difficulty in foreign body removal.

It not only significantly improves the success rate and safety of surgical procedures, effectively reducing X-ray radiation exposure for both patients and medical staff, but also diminishes excessive reliance on the surgeon’s personal experience, thereby holding significant value for clinical adoption.

To address core clinical challenges in the current treatment of complex ureteral diseases—such as suboptimal navigation accuracy, high procedural risks, and difficulties in retrieving certain devices—companies and institutions both domestically and internationally are expanding their R&D focus to the broader field of minimally invasive urological therapies, actively exploring and planning a series of cutting-edge innovative pipelines under development.

In the international market,Urotech"Long-term focus on the field of minimally invasive urology, with its flagship products"“Black Star® Magnetic Double-J Stent”(Magnetic-end double-J ureteral stent) represents a core breakthrough by revolutionizing the traditional method of ureteral stent removal. This product features a small cylindrical magnet securely attached via a suture to the distal coil of a standard double-J stent. The accompanying specialized retrieval device, equipped with a magnetic tip, is inserted transurethrally during outpatient or inpatient procedures, where it couples magnetically with the magnet at the stent’s distal end. This design enables physicians to perform rapid, minimally invasive stent removal without the need for cystoscopy or general anesthesia, thereby avoiding the pain, risks, and costs associated with secondary surgeries or invasive interventions. Multiple clinical studies have confirmed the safety and efficacy of this product.

For example, a 2020 study showed that the success rate of removing this magnetic stent in pediatric patientsUp to 98%. A randomized controlled trial conducted in 2023 also demonstrated that, compared with the traditional cystoscopic method for stent removal, the magnetic retrieval technique significantly shortened the procedure time and markedly reduced patient pain. In the application of robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty in children, the overall rate of successfully avoiding a second general anesthesiaApproximately 60%。

Currently, the Black Star® Magnetic Double-J Stent is a commercialized medical device that has been launched and entered the stage of mature clinical application. It is available in various specifications ranging from 4.8F to 6F, with lengths selectable between 10 and 26 cm, to meet the needs of patients of different ages and body types.

In China,Hunan Huaxin Medical Device Co., Ltd.Focused on the research and development, production, and sales of disposable electronic endoscopic medical devices. In the field of urology, leveraging core“Riveted Snake Bone Patented Technology”, successfully launched globally leadingDisposable Electronic Flexible Ureteroscope (Also Known as Disposable Electronic Ureterorenoscope) Series Products. This product has achieved remarkable clinical outcomes, with its core breakthrough lying in the provision of multiple size options (e.g., 6.3 Fr, 7.5 Fr, and 8.4 Fr) that precisely accommodate the diverse anatomical structures and surgical requirements of different patients.

Among these, the ultra-slim 6.3Fr scope is specifically designed for pediatric patients or those with narrow ureters, significantly reducing the risk of tissue injury. The 7.5Fr model, with an insertion length of 700 mm, has been validated by Japanese experts in FANS-RIRS procedures when used in conjunction with a negative pressure suction sheath, demonstrating markedly improved operational flexibility and clarity of the surgical field. Equipped with a high-definition electronic imaging system, the product’s key performance indicators meet international advanced standards. Its single-use design eliminates the risk of cross-infection at the source while reducing hospital maintenance costs.

Currently,Huaxin MedicalThe disposable electronic flexible ureteroscope has obtained the medical device registration certificate from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China. It is a mature product that has achieved large-scale mass production and commercial application. Furthermore, the product has earned over 210 international certifications, including FDA and CE approvals, and is exported to more than 160 countries and regions worldwide.

Overall, the mature solutions currently available on the market—such as magnetic stents designed for easy retrieval, high-performance flexible ureteroscopes, and the patented technology pending transfer from West China Hospital—have each addressed challenges at different stages of surgical procedures. Currently, ureteroscopic technology is continuing to evolve toward greater operational precision, simplified workflows, and enhanced safety.

Looking ahead, development in this field may place greater emphasis on the integration and optimization of diverse technological pathways, such as combining the precision of magnetic navigation with the convenience of single-use devices. Meanwhile, efforts should focus on further lowering the barriers to adopting advanced technologies, enabling a broader patient population to benefit, and accumulating more long-term clinical evidence-based data.

* Patent transaction information provided by CSTT