Atraumatic Retrieval Basket With Retainer For Tissue-Safe Calculus Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical devices with protruding tips at the distal end can cause tissue trauma and hinder access to calculi in difficult-to-reach areas within the body, necessitating improved designs for retrieving and manipulating materials like calculi without damaging surrounding tissues.
Innovation Solution
A medical device featuring a retrieval basket with an atraumatic distal end, secured by a retainer that joins intermediate portions of its legs, allowing for expanded and collapsed positions, enabling safe manipulation and removal of materials without causing tissue injury.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the distal end of the retrieval basket is joined by soldering or welding to form a protruding tip, then the structural strength is improved, but tissue trauma is caused and access to calculi is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the harmful protruding tip that results from conventional joining methods. By extracting this problematic feature, the device achieves an atraumatic distal end that does not damage tissue or hinder access to calculi, while maintaining structural integrity through alternative joining approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies different properties to different parts of the retrieval basket. The distal end is specifically designed to be atraumatic and flexible for tissue safety, while other portions maintain sufficient strength for structural support. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between overall strength and local tissue compatibility.
2Strength
If the distal end of the retrieval basket is joined by soldering or welding to form a protruding tip, then the structural strength is improved, but the ability to access calculi in difficult-to-reach areas is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the protruding tip that obstructs access to calculi. By removing this feature, the distal end becomes streamlined and capable of reaching difficult-to-access areas, while structural strength is maintained through alternative design approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention makes the distal end dynamic and flexible rather than rigid and protruding. This allows the distal end to adapt to difficult anatomical pathways and reach calculi in hard-to-access locations, while the overall structure maintains sufficient strength through strategic reinforcement in other areas.
3Device complexity
If the intermediate portions of the legs are secured together by a retainer, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the function of joining intermediate portions with a single retainer component. This consolidation simplifies the overall device structure by eliminating the need for multiple separate joining mechanisms, while the retainer is designed with features that facilitate precise assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer acts as an intermediary component that facilitates the joining of leg intermediate portions. It provides a standardized interface that simplifies assembly while maintaining the necessary precision through its design features, such as engagement protrusions or interference-fit mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device, and related method, for manipulating material, such as calculi, within a patient's body includes a handle, a sheath, a retrieval basket, and a retainer coupled to the distal end of the retrieval basket. The retrieval basket includes a plurality of legs, each of which includes an intermediate portion located at the distal end of the retrieval basket. The retainer secures at least the intermediate portion of one of the plurality of legs to the intermediate portion of another of the plurality of legs.