Biopsy Cutting Member With Flared Distal Section and Beveled Edge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tissue cutting members for biopsy devices often fail to efficiently separate tissue specimens from target sites, particularly when dealing with tough or hard tissues, and can trap tissue between the cutting member and the shaft, leading to suboptimal specimen retrieval.
Innovation Solution
A tissue cutting member with a distal tubular portion featuring a beveled front face, circumferentially spaced openings, and a flared distal section that engages an inner tissue cutting edge to facilitate scissor-like cutting and maintain vacuum, allowing for effective separation of tissue specimens from supporting tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a traditional tissue cutting member is used, then the device structure is simple, but tissue becomes trapped between the cutting member and the shaft, reducing specimen retrieval efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting member is divided into multiple functional segments: a distal tubular portion with circumferential openings, a beveled front face with leading and trailing edges, and a flared distal section. This segmentation allows each portion to perform specific functions (cutting, vacuum maintenance, stress relief) that collectively improve specimen retrieval efficiency while managing structural complexity through functional specialization
2Productivity
If a traditional cutting member design is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the cutting member cannot effectively separate tough or hard tissue from the target site
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the cutting member are given distinct geometric properties optimized for specific functions: the beveled front face with leading edge for initial penetration, the circumferential openings for vacuum maintenance and stress relief, and the flared distal section for engaging the inner cutting edge. This local differentiation enables effective separation of tough tissues while maintaining manufacturability through standardized forming processes
3Manufacturing precision
If the cutting member engages tissue firmly to achieve clean cuts, then specimen quality improves, but tissue may become trapped between the cutting member and shaft
Solution Approach 1:
The circumferential openings in the distal tubular portion act as intermediary elements that maintain vacuum between the cutting member and shaft during the cutting process. This vacuum intermediary force holds tissue against the cutting edges for clean separation while preventing tissue from becoming trapped, thereby simultaneously achieving high cut quality and efficient specimen retrieval
Data Source
AI summary
A biopsy device includes a tissue cutting member slidably disposed within a probe component. The tissue cutting member has a distal tubular portion having a longitudinal axis and a flared distal section. The flared distal section has an inclined distal tip and an outwardly flared distal tubular portion that defines an inner tissue receiving aperture. The inclined distal tip has a beveled front face with a leading tissue cutting edge and a trailing cutting edge. A longitudinally oriented opening is in the flared distal section. The longitudinally oriented opening has an open distal end and is configured to extend from a closed proximal end to the open distal end. The closed proximal end has a relief opening with a transverse dimension larger than a transverse dimension of the longitudinally oriented opening adjacent the relief opening. The longitudinally oriented opening diverges to intersect the trailing cutting edge.