Cannulated Guide Tool Hinged Tip Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical procedures, such as bone repair, face challenges in steering a guide wire through a hole drilled in a bone due to natural tissue closure or obstruction, making it difficult to access the drilled hole.
Innovation Solution
A cannulated guide tool with a hinged tubular tip and a slidable link mechanism that allows angular adjustment of the tip to steer a guide wire to a specific location, enabling precise placement by pivoting about a hinge formed by protrusions and dimples, or using a flexible section of tube with a sheathing and link to form an arc for improved access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a hole is drilled in a bone for surgical procedures, then the guide wire can be inserted through the hole, but the incision made in tissue naturally closes or obstruction prevents easy access to the drilled hole
Solution Approach 1:
A cannulated guide tool serves as an intermediary device between the external incision site and the internal drilled hole in the bone. The tool includes a shaft with a cannulated (hollow) tip that can be inserted through the tissue incision and extended to reach the drilled hole, maintaining a continuous passage despite tissue closure tendencies. The guide tool acts as a mediator that bridges the gap created by tissue closure, allowing the guide wire to be steered through the hole without direct exposure to the closed incision.
2Strength
If a rigid shaft is used to drill into bone, then structural strength is maintained, but the ability to steer the guide wire to specific locations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is segmented into distinct functional zones: a proximal rigid portion that maintains structural strength during insertion and handling, and a distal cannulated tip portion that provides steering capability. The hinge mechanism further segments the tip, allowing angular adjustment relative to the main shaft axis. This segmentation enables the shaft to simultaneously exhibit rigidity where needed and flexibility/steerability where required.
Solution Approach 2:
The tip of the shaft is made dynamic through the hinge mechanism, allowing it to pivot and adjust its angular orientation during the procedure. The hinge enables the tip to transition between fixed and movable states, providing adaptability for steering the guide wire to specific locations while maintaining the overall structural integrity of the shaft.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a hinged tip mechanism is added to enable steering, then angular adjustment capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism is localized to only the distal tip region of the shaft, rather than making the entire shaft complex. The hinge is positioned specifically where steering is needed, allowing the proximal shaft to remain simple and rigid. This localized approach minimizes overall device complexity while providing the necessary angular adjustment capability at the critical tip location.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism is nested within the cannulated tip structure, with the hinge axis integrated into the tip geometry. The protrusions and dimples that form the hinge are embedded within the tip assembly, creating a compact configuration that adds steering functionality without significantly increasing the external dimensions or overall complexity of the device.
Data Source
AI summary
According to a first configuration, a hand tool is configured to include a shaft, a handle disposed at a proximal end of the shaft, and a tubular tip disposed on a hinge at a distal end of the shaft. The tubular tip pivots about the hinge, providing a way to steer a resource to a specific location in a medical site. In accordance with a second configuration, a hand tool includes a flexible section of tube, a flexible sheathing, and a link. The flexible sheathing encases the flexible section of tube. At least a portion of the link resides between an outer surface of the flexible section of tube and an inner surface of the flexible sheathing. One end of the link is affixed to a distal tip of the flexible section of tube. Pulling on the link causes the flexible section of tube to arc.