Deployable Prong Needle for Uniform Tissue Track Injection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for delivering substances to a large volume of tissue via injection face challenges such as inadequate spreading, inhomogeneous distribution, and unwanted diffusion beyond the target area, while multiple needle injections are cumbersome and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
An improved hypodermic needle and fluid injection device that creates tracks within the target tissue by extending and rotating a needle with flexible prongs to facilitate even distribution of medicants, allowing for precise and efficient delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single point injection is used to deliver substance to large volume tissue, then the injection procedure is simple and quick, but the substance cannot spread throughout the volume in sufficient time and distribution becomes inhomogeneous
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is divided into multiple segments or prongs that can be deployed to create multiple injection tracks within the target volume. This segmentation allows the substance to be delivered through multiple pathways simultaneously, improving both spread speed and distribution uniformity while maintaining procedural efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection approach transitions from a single-point (0D) or linear (1D) injection to a three-dimensional track system within the target volume. By creating volumetric tracks rather than surface-level injections, the substance can distribute more uniformly throughout the entire target volume, resolving the contradiction between injection speed and distribution uniformity.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple needle injections are used to improve distribution, then substance spreading is improved, but multiple needle stab wounds are created and procedural time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple injection functions are merged into a single needle device. The needle incorporates multiple prongs or segments that can be deployed to create multiple tracks simultaneously, allowing what would traditionally require multiple separate needle insertions to be achieved through one procedure, thereby reducing the number of stab wounds and procedural time.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle structure is pre-configured with deployable prongs or segments that can be activated before the injection of substance. This preliminary preparation allows the creation of multiple injection tracks in advance, enabling subsequent substance delivery to occur through pre-established pathways, thus reducing the complexity of multiple separate injection procedures.
3Loss of time
If single point injection is used, then procedural time is short, but unwanted spreading to regions away from target volume occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The injection system creates localized tracks within the target volume rather than relying on diffusion from a single point. By confining the substance to specific track pathways through the needle prongs or segments, the system maintains precise local delivery while minimizing unwanted diffusion to adjacent regions, thus reducing harmful effects without significantly increasing procedural time.
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 uniform distribution of substances within the target tissue with reduced trauma and increased accuracy, minimizing unwanted spreading and reducing procedural time.
Implementation Method 1
Medicants could be injected into these tracks for diffusion into the surrounding tissue
Data Source
AI summary
An example medical instrument for creating tracks within target tissue. Medicants could be injected into these tracks for diffusion into the surrounding tissue. An exemplary medical device includes a first tissue penetrating device, a second tissue penetrating device and a handle. The handle includes a first component connected to the first tissue penetrating device and a second component connected to the second tissue penetrating device. When the second component is at a first position relative to the first component, the second tissue penetrating device is in a non-track creation configuration. When the second component is at a second position relative to the first component, the second tissue penetrating device is in a track creation configuration. The second tissue penetrating device is slidably received within the first tissue penetrating device.