Curved Vitrectomy Needle With Laser Guide for Gentler Eye Entry
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current vitrectomy techniques involve straight instruments that cause mechanical stress and lacerations at the entry incision, requiring suturing and potentially damaging the eye tissue due to the large pivoting movements needed to access all areas of the vitreous body.
Innovation Solution
A vitrectomy needle with a curved design and integrated laser light guide that generates shockwaves to fragment vitreous material, reducing the need for mechanical stress and allowing for a larger solid angle range with minimal tilting, thereby minimizing force on the entry incision and facilitating gentler and more efficient removal of the vitreous body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a straight vitrectome with mechanical cutting mechanism is used, then the cutting function is achieved, but large pivoting movements are required causing considerable forces at the trocar and surrounding tissue leading to lacerations requiring suturing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical cutting mechanism with a laser-based system. The laser light guide delivers laser energy to the vitreous body through the curved needle, enabling cutting and ablation without mechanical contact. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical pivoting movements that cause tissue stress and lacerations at the entry incision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a curved needle design instead of a straight one. The curvature allows the laser light guide to reach different areas of the vitreous body without requiring large external pivoting movements of the instrument through the trocar. This reduces the forces transmitted to the entry incision and surrounding tissue.
2Ease of operation
If a straight laser instrument is used for vitrectomy, then photoemulsification can be performed, but large pivoting movements cause considerable deflections in the area of the incision leading to lacerations that have to be sutured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a curved needle design that allows the laser instrument to access all areas of the vitreous body through rotational movement around a fixed entry point, rather than requiring large pivoting movements. The curvature of the needle provides a larger solid angle range, enabling comprehensive treatment while minimizing deflections at the incision site.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved needle design adds a spatial dimension to the instrument's capability. By curving the needle, the system can reach different target areas through rotation in three-dimensional space without changing the entry point position, thereby eliminating the need for harmful pivoting movements at the incision.
3Productivity
If mechanical cutting movements are used in vitrectomy, then vitreous body segments can be ablated, but additional mechanical stress is applied to the eye and the area of the trocar
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical cutting movements with laser-based photoemulsification. The laser energy directly ablates and emulsifies the vitreous body material, which is then aspirated. This eliminates the need for mechanical cutting movements that generate stress on the eye and trocar area, while maintaining efficient vitreous body removal.
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 curved vitrectomy needle with a laser light guide enables a more ergonomic and efficient removal of the vitreous body with reduced mechanical stress on the eye and surrounding tissue, minimizing the risk of lacerations and improving handling during the procedure.
Implementation Method 1
generates shockwaves to fragment vitreous material
Implementation Method 2
works with photoemulsification, similar to that already used for phacoemulsification of cataracts
Data Source
AI summary
A vitrectomy needle comprises a hollow needle with a distal end for insertion into the vitreous body of an eye for performing a vitrectomy. The vitrectomy needle further comprises a laser light guide guided in the hollow needle to the distal end and has a light-emitting surface oriented towards the distal end. A cavity is formed between the light-emitting surface and the axially inward-facing surface of the distal end. In the area of the cavity, the wall of the hollow needle has an aperture extending radially with respect to the middle axis (M) of the hollow needle. The vitrectomy needle, has a straight section at the proximal end, the middle axis (M) defining a central axis (Z) in the region of the straight section. The middle axis (M) of the hollow needle may be spaced apart from the central axis (Z) by a predetermined minimum radial distance (R).