Detachable Dilator Blade for Minimally Invasive Tissue Retraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical methods, particularly open surgery, require large incisions and significant tissue displacement, leading to longer recovery times for patients, while minimally invasive techniques aim to reduce these drawbacks but may still face challenges in effectively accessing surgical sites with minimal tissue disruption.
Innovation Solution
A tissue retraction system comprising a dilator and a retractor member that cooperatively define a passageway to dilate and retract tissue, allowing for minimally invasive access to surgical sites, with the dilator being removable while the retractor member remains in place to further expand the tissue pathway, facilitating surgical procedures with reduced tissue damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If open surgery techniques are used to access surgical target site, then adequate access to surgical site is achieved, but large incisions and high tissue displacement are required leading to long recovery time
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical access system is divided into multiple sequential components: a dilator for creating the initial pathway, followed by a retractor for maintaining access. This segmentation allows minimally invasive access while ensuring adequate surgical site exposure, resolving the contradiction between small incisions and reliable access.
Solution Approach 2:
The dilator is used to preliminarily create a pathway through the tissue before the retractor is inserted. This preliminary action enables the subsequent retractor to maintain access without requiring large incisions, thereby reducing recovery time while ensuring adequate surgical access.
2Loss of time
If minimally invasive techniques are used to access surgical site, then recovery time is reduced, but adequate access to surgical site may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor features movable retractor members that can be dynamically adjusted to optimize the passageway size and shape during surgery. This dynamic adjustment capability ensures adequate surgical access is maintained while keeping the initial incision small, thus reducing recovery time without compromising access reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The retractor members are nested within the retractor body, allowing compact storage and minimally invasive insertion. Once positioned, they can be expanded to provide adequate surgical access, effectively resolving the contradiction between small incision size and sufficient access to the surgical site.
3Stability of the object's composition
If retractor member is permanently attached to dilator, then structural stability is maintained, but flexibility and adaptability during surgical procedure are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism between the retractor member and dilator is designed to be dynamic rather than fixed. The retractor member can be attached to maintain structural stability during insertion, then detached or repositioned to provide flexibility and adaptability during different phases of the surgical procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into separable components (dilator and retractor member) that can be independently manipulated. This segmentation allows the retractor member to be stably attached during insertion for structural stability, then detached or repositioned during surgery for enhanced flexibility and adaptability to surgical needs.
Data Source
AI summary
A tissue retraction system includes a dilator and a first retractor member and a retraction assembly. The dilator is configured to be inserted into a tissue body and also includes at least one engagement member. The first retractor member includes a body and at least one engagement member that is configured to attach to the at least one engagement member of the dilator so as to removably attach the retractor member to the dilator body. The retraction assembly includes a retractor body and at least a second retractor member that is movably supported by the retractor body. The retractor body is configured to be attached to the first retractor member. The tissue protection system may also include a neuromonitoring member configured to determine a characteristics of the tissue.