Anti-clogging Spray Tip for Reactive Tissue Sealants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices for spraying tissue sealants in minimally invasive surgical procedures often clog due to the quick-reacting nature of the biologics, requiring frequent replacement of spray tips and complicating the delivery process.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing device with an anti-clogging spray tip that separates and maintains the two fluid components until they are sprayed, using a connector with D-shaped exit ports and a gasket with butterfly-shaped connectors to ensure separation and prevent mixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If spray tips are used to atomize tissue sealants, then the tissue sealant can be delivered to the surgical site, but the spray tips clog quickly due to the rapid coagulation of the biologic components
Solution Approach 1:
The device separates the two biologic components (thrombin and fibrinogen) into different fluid paths until the moment of application, preventing premature mixing and coagulation that would cause clogging. This segmentation allows the spray tip to remain functional for longer periods by avoiding internal coagulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a mechanical breakup unit as an intermediary between the fluid delivery system and the spray tip. This unit includes spin chambers and funneling portions that physically separate and direct the two components through controlled pathways, preventing them from coagulating within the spray tip while maintaining reliable delivery.
2Ease of manufacture
If the two component material is delivered through a dual syringe, then the components can be stored separately, but the minimum distance between exit orifices requires the flexible cannula to be significantly smaller, resulting in two physically separated fluid paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where the first and second fluid paths are positioned concentrically or adjacently within the same cannula body. The mechanical breakup unit contains both fluid paths in a compact arrangement, allowing two separate fluid delivery systems to be integrated into a single cannula without requiring excessive space or complex external routing.
3Reliability
If spray tips are removed and replaced frequently, then clogged spray tips can be replaced, but the procedure becomes more time-consuming in minimally invasive/robotic surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary separation of the two biologic components at the mechanical breakup unit before they reach the spray tip. By pre-preventing mixing and coagulation in the delivery system, the spray tip remains unclogged and functional for extended periods, eliminating the need for frequent removal and replacement during the surgical procedure.
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A spray tip for dispensing fluids that react together includes a first lumen for a first fluid, a second lumen for a second fluid, and a dispensing cap located at distal ends of the respective first and second lumens and defining a distal end of the spray tip. The dispensing cap includes a distal end wall defining a closed end of the dispensing cap, a first spray opening formed in the distal end wall that is in fluid communication with the first lumen, a second spray opening formed in the distal end wall that is in fluid communication with the second lumen, and an external dividing wall that projects distally from the distal end wall of the dispensing cap and that extends between the first and second spray opening for forming a barrier between the first and second spray openings.