Biopsy Gun Slider Loading Mechanism for Smoother Carriage Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing biopsy guns have complex component geometries, leading to high production costs, difficult assembly, and jerky carriage movements, necessitating a simpler, more economical design with smoother operation.
Innovation Solution
A biopsy gun with a simplified structure using a sliding slider mechanism on a branched guide for sequential carriage loading, reducing component complexity and enabling quick assembly, and incorporating coil springs for consistent thrust, allowing both automatic and semi-automatic operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex component geometries are used in biopsy guns, then functional requirements are met, but production costs increase and assembly becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The biopsy gun is divided into modular components: a reusable body and disposable needles/carriages. This segmentation allows the complex functional parts to be pre-assembled and tested separately, then quickly attached to the simple reusable body, reducing overall assembly complexity and production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle and carriage components are designed as disposable single-use elements. This eliminates the need for complex assembly and disassembly of precision components, as each disposable unit is pre-configured and simply attached to the reusable body, significantly reducing assembly time and production costs.
2Reliability
If traditional carriage mechanisms are used, then biopsy function is achieved, but movements become jerky and operation smoothness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The carriage mechanism incorporates spring-loaded elements and flexible connectors that allow for dynamic, smooth movement during the biopsy procedure. The springs provide controlled force progression, eliminating jerky motions and ensuring smooth advancement of the needle and carriage assembly.
3Productivity
If simplified structure is implemented, then assembly time is reduced and production costs lower, but component complexity must be minimized
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the device into reusable body and disposable needle-carriage units, the patent achieves simplified assembly where the disposable components are pre-assembled in a controlled manufacturing environment and then quickly attached to the reusable body, reducing clinical assembly time while maintaining functional complexity in the disposable units.
Solution Approach 2:
The reusable body is designed with universal interfaces that can accommodate different disposable needle and carriage configurations. This universality allows the same body to work with various biopsy needle types, reducing the need for multiple complex specialized components and simplifying overall device architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The gun achieves a streamlined design with reduced assembly time, lower production costs, and smoother carriage movement, enhancing user confidence and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Corresponding springs apply the necessary thrust to the carriages to translate between these two positions
Data Source
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AI summary
An automatic gun for biopsies is described, which comprises a body that can be held by an operator, a first carriage and a second carriage housed in the body, elastic means combined with the first carriage and the second carriage, a loading mechanism of the gun, at least one button for triggering or firing the gun, and a needle that extends in a cantilevered way from the body along a longitudinal axis. The needle comprises a cannula constrained to the first carriage and a stylet constrained to the second carriage. Stylet and cannula cooperate to cut a tissue sample with a guillotine effect, by moving on the longitudinal axis between a retracted and an extended position. The loading mechanism of the gun comprises a thrust element of both the first carriage and the second carriage, which is constrained to the body and movable in a longitudinal direction between an inactive position and a loading position. The loading mechanism comprises a slider mounted on the thrust element and movable orthogonally to the longitudinal axis. The function of the slider is to allow the selective loading of one of the two carriages when the operator acts on the thrust mechanism. The gun's body comprises a longitudinal guide branched into a first branch and a second branch; the slider selectively engages the first branch or the second branch, in response to the retraction of the thrust element into the loading position.