Catheter Cannister Drive and Locking for Single-Operator Bronchoscopy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in maneuvering long and flexible catheters and tools within the lungs, requiring multiple operators to align and insert biopsy needles, and complicating the removal process due to the handheld nature of bronchoscopes.
Innovation Solution
A cannister-based system with a drive mechanism and articulation motors to manage catheter length, featuring a coiled retention, electromagnetic navigation, and a computing device for 3D modeling, allowing single-operator control and precise catheter and tool manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a handheld bronchoscope is used to navigate catheters and tools within the lungs, then the procedure can be performed with basic equipment, but the operator must manually balance the bronchoscope while feeding long catheters and tools through the working channel, requiring multiple operators and reducing ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the long catheter and tool into manageable segments by providing multiple support points along their length. The catheter support device includes a first support point near the distal end and a second support point near the proximal end, allowing the operator to control and balance each segment independently rather than managing the entire length as one piece.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter support device acts as an intermediary between the operator and the long catheter/tool. This device provides mechanical support and positioning, freeing the operator from directly balancing the catheter while allowing precise control during insertion and manipulation through the bronchoscope working channel.
2Measurement precision
If long catheters and tools are inserted manually through a handheld bronchoscope, then flexibility in navigation is maintained, but alignment of the catheter lumen with the tool and precise positioning becomes difficult, reducing measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter support device performs preliminary positioning and alignment of the catheter before the tool insertion step. By pre-establishing the correct orientation and alignment of the catheter lumen with the tool, the device eliminates the need for difficult manual alignment during the critical insertion moment, ensuring precise positioning from the outset.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical alignment with a mechanically-assisted system that provides automated support and positioning. The catheter support device with its multiple support points and articulation mechanisms substitutes for the operator's manual dexterity in aligning and positioning the catheter, achieving greater precision through mechanical means.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the bronchoscope is held manually to allow flexibility in navigation, then adaptability to different patient anatomies is improved, but the catheter and tool manipulation becomes complex requiring a third hand, increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter support device is designed to be universally applicable to different catheter and tool configurations. It can support various lengths and types of catheters and tools while maintaining the same basic functionality, allowing the system to adapt to different patient anatomies and procedural requirements without requiring additional specialized equipment for each scenario.
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
Enables single-operator navigation and insertion of catheters and tools with improved precision and ease, reducing operational complexity and enhancing the accuracy of procedures like biopsies and therapies.
Implementation Method 1
an electromagnetic (EM) field generator. The system also includes a sensor located on a distal end of a catheter, the sensor configured to receive EM signals
Data Source
AI summary
A cannister system for containing a catheter, the cannister including a drive mechanism for driving the catheter from the cannister and into a luminal network of a patient, the cannister including an entrance point for insertion of a tool into the catheter.