Adjustable Blade Surgical Dilator for Tissue Retraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional open spinal surgeries cause significant trauma to tissues, prolonged recovery times, and pain due to extensive muscle stripping and use of general anesthesia, while minimally invasive techniques aim to reduce these issues but often require sequential dilation processes that lack flexibility in blade shapes for tissue retraction.
Innovation Solution
A surgical dilator system with an outer tubular member and an inner tubular member that includes a vertical slot and guide track system, allowing for adjustable blade shapes and positions to facilitate tissue dilation and retraction, enabling alternate blade shapes for muscle and tissue management during procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional open surgical procedures are used to access deep spinal pathology, then complete exposure of the surgical site is achieved, but significant trauma to intervening tissues, extensive muscle stripping, and prolonged recovery time occur
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical access system is divided into multiple sequential dilators with progressively larger diameters, allowing gradual tissue dilation rather than single-step forceful expansion. This segmented approach minimizes trauma while achieving the necessary access diameter for spinal surgery
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple dilators are nested within each other in sequential order, with each dilator fitting inside the previous one. This nested structure allows systematic progression through tissue layers while maintaining control and minimizing damage to surrounding muscles and tissues
2Object-affected harmful factors
If sequential dilation processes are used in minimally invasive spinal surgery, then tissue trauma is reduced, but flexibility in blade shapes for tissue retraction is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The dilator system incorporates a movable inner tubular member that can slide within the outer tubular member, allowing dynamic adjustment of the working end configuration. This enables the blade shape to be changed during the procedure to accommodate different tissue retraction needs while maintaining the minimally invasive benefit
Solution Approach 2:
The dilator assembly is designed to perform multiple functions: initial tissue dilation, blade-shaped tissue retraction, and accommodation of various surgical instruments. The interchangeable inner tubular members provide universal applicability for different surgical scenarios without requiring multiple separate devices
3Volume of moving object
If multiple increasing diameter dilators are inserted sequentially, then the correct diameter is achieved, but the procedure time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple dilators are combined into a single integrated assembly where the inner tubular members are pre-positioned within the outer tubular member. This merged structure allows all dilation steps to be performed simultaneously in one insertion rather than requiring sequential insertion of separate dilators, significantly reducing procedure time
Data Source
AI summary
A device, system and method for dilating a patient during a minimally invasive surgical procedure is disclosed. A surgical dilation system includes a dilator having an outer tubular member and an inner tubular member sized to be movably received within an inside diameter of the outer tubular member. The outer tubular member includes a vertical slot running through a side of the outer tubular member. The inner tubular member has an upper portion and a lower portion. The retractor has a proximal end including at least one mounting member protruding outwardly from a side surface of the retractor and a distal end including at least one fanned blade protruding outwardly from the side surface. When the inner tubular member is oriented in a first position the vertical slot is in a closed state, when the inner tubular member is oriented in a second position the mounting member is permitted to travel downwardly a predetermined distance in the vertical slot, and when the inner tubular member is positioned in a third state the mounting member is permitted to freely travel through the vertical slot.