Adjustable Macular Elevator for High Axial Length Eyes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical instruments struggle to reach the macula effectively in eyes with high axial lengths, such as those with myopia, due to their limited shaft length, leading to difficulties in performing procedures like ILM surgery for macular holes.
Innovation Solution
A macular elevator tool with a handle, engagement portion, and extender mechanism that allows adjustable extension to facilitate reaching the macula by reducing the effective axial length of the eye during surgery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If conventional surgical instruments with fixed shaft length are used, then the instrument structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the instrument cannot reach the macula effectively in eyes with high axial lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument shaft is designed with an extender mechanism that allows dynamic adjustment of its length. The extender can be extended to increase the shaft length for reaching the macula in eyes with high axial lengths, and retracted when not needed, providing adaptability without permanently increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument is divided into a main shaft and a separate extender component. This segmentation allows the extender to be independently adjusted and attached to the shaft, enabling length customization while keeping the base instrument structure simple and manageable.
2Ease of operation
If the instrument shaft length is increased to reach the macula in high axial length eyes, then surgical access to the macula is improved, but the instrument becomes more complex and harder to control
Solution Approach 1:
The extender mechanism allows the shaft length to be dynamically adjusted only when needed for high axial length eyes. This provides surgical access to the macula in challenging cases while maintaining a compact, easy-to-control instrument structure for typical cases.
Solution Approach 2:
The extender is designed to nest within or attach to the main shaft when not in use, creating a compact configuration that is easy to handle and store. When extended, it provides the necessary length for reaching the macula, effectively hiding the complexity within a simple overall structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-length instrument is used, then the device is simple and reliable, but it cannot adapt to varying axial lengths of different eyes
Solution Approach 1:
The extender mechanism enables the instrument to dynamically adapt its length to match the axial length of different eyes. The shaft can be extended for high axial length eyes and retracted for normal eyes, providing versatility without requiring multiple fixed-length instruments.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument is designed with universal adaptability through the extender mechanism, allowing a single instrument design to serve multiple purposes across different patient populations. The base shaft works with the extender to accommodate varying axial lengths, making the instrument versatile for different surgical scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a novel and advantageous tool for manipulation of the eye. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a novel and advantageous tool for macular elevation to facilitate surgical reach of the macula for treatment of a macular hole. The tool may have a handle portion and an engagement portion. The engagement portion may have an engagement surface for engaging a rear surface of the eye. The tool may further have an extender for adjusting an extension of the engagement surface from the handle portion.