Containment Bag Guard for Safe Tissue Morcellation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical methods for removing large tissue specimens through small incisions or body orifices, such as during hysterectomies or myomectomies, risk spreading malignant tissue and increasing patient mortality due to the need for morcellation, which can disperse cancerous cells.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a containment bag and a guard that protects the bag from accidental incision during morcellation, allowing safe and controlled reduction of tissue specimens through a body opening while maintaining a closed system to prevent the dissemination of tumor cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If morcellation is performed to reduce tissue size for removal through small incisions, then the tissue can be removed through the incision, but malignant cells may be dispersed and spread within the body cavity
Solution Approach 1:
A containment bag is introduced as an intermediary device between the morcellation blade and the body cavity. The bag captures tissue fragments during morcellation, preventing malignant cells from dispersing into the body cavity while still allowing the tissue to be reduced to removable size through controlled cutting within the bag confines
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful aspect of morcellation (cell dissemination) is extracted and isolated by containing the morcellation process within a bag. The bag is then removed entirely from the body cavity with all tissue fragments contained inside, taking the potential hazard out of the body along with the tissue specimen
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a containment bag is used to prevent cell dispersion during morcellation, then cancer spread is prevented, but the bag may be accidentally incised during the procedure
Solution Approach 1:
A protective shield is positioned between the morcellation blade and the containment bag before morcellation begins. This shield acts as a cushioning barrier that absorbs or deflects accidental blade contacts, preventing bag incisions while allowing the morcellation process to proceed
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a nested structure where the containment bag is placed inside the body cavity, and a protective shield is positioned between the blade and the bag. This nested arrangement of protective elements creates multiple layers of defense against bag damage while maintaining the containment function
3Reliability
If the tissue specimen is removed in one piece, then surgical integrity is maintained, but the incision size must be enlarged to accommodate the specimen
Solution Approach 1:
The tissue specimen is segmented into smaller fragments through morcellation performed within the containment bag. This segmentation allows the tissue to be removed through a small incision while maintaining the closed-system approach, as all fragments remain contained within the bag during the fragmentation process
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~8
Figure 4~6
AI summary
Systems and methods for preventing the seeding of cancerous cells during morcellation of a tissue specimen inside a patient's body and removal of the tissue specimen from inside the patient through a minimally-invasive body opening to outside the patient are provided. One system includes a cut-resistant tissue guard removably insertable into a containment bag. The tissue specimen is isolated and contained within the containment bag and the guard is configured to protect the containment bag and surrounding tissue from incidental contact with sharp instrumentation used during morcellation and extraction of the tissue specimen. The guard is adjustable for easy insertion and removal and configured to securely anchor to the body opening. Protection-focused and containment-based systems for tissue removal are provided that enable minimally invasive procedures to be performed safely and efficiently.