Dilation Catheter Tip Removal Instrument for Eustachian and Sinus Procedures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dilation catheters face challenges in efficiently transitioning between modes for Eustachian tube and sinus ostium dilation procedures without causing inadvertent damage to delicate anatomical structures, particularly due to the need for a bulbous tip that prevents traversal of the isthmus in Eustachian tubes but may be too large for sinus ostia.
Innovation Solution
A dilation catheter with a bulbous tip that can be selectively removed using a dedicated instrument, allowing the catheter to switch between modes for Eustachian tube and sinus ostium dilation by severing the bulbous tip with a specialized apparatus that ensures precise cutting without damaging the catheter or surrounding tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bulbous tip is added to the dilation catheter to prevent traversal of the isthmus in Eustachian tube procedures, then safety is improved, but the catheter cannot be used for sinus ostium dilation procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into modular components: a reusable main body and a removable bulbous tip. The tip can be detached when transitioning from Eustachian tube procedures to sinus ostium procedures, allowing the same catheter to serve multiple functions without compromising safety during Eustachian tube dilation.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter configuration is changed by removing the bulbous tip component, transforming the device from a Eustachian tube-specific configuration to a universal configuration suitable for both Eustachian tube and sinus ostium procedures.
2Reliability
If the bulbous tip is made large enough to effectively block the isthmus, then prevention of inadvertent middle ear entry is improved, but the tip becomes too large to pass through sinus ostia
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter system is segmented into a reusable main body and a removable bulbous tip. The tip serves its protective function during Eustachian tube procedures, then can be removed to allow passage through smaller sinus ostia openings.
Solution Approach 2:
The bulbous tip is extracted as a separate removable component from the catheter assembly, allowing it to be taken out when no longer needed for Eustachian tube procedures, enabling transition to sinus ostium procedures without the tip.
3Manufacturing precision
If a dedicated cutting instrument is used to remove the bulbous tip, then precision and safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A dedicated cutting instrument serves as an intermediary tool to safely and precisely remove the bulbous tip. This specialized instrument ensures clean detachment without damaging the reusable catheter body or surrounding tissues, then can be discarded or sterilized for future use.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a base housing, an actuator, and a blade. The base housing defines an upwardly presented support surface. The base housing also defines a distally oriented tip receiving recess. The distally oriented tip receiving recess is sized and configured to receive a bulbous distal tip of a dilation catheter. The actuator is movably coupled with the base housing. The blade us secured to the actuator. The actuator is operable to move the blade downwardly relative to the base housing. The blade is configured to sever a portion of a dilation catheter along a plane longitudinally interposed between the support surface and the tip receiving recess to thereby sever the bulbous distal tip of the dilation catheter in response to movement of the actuator relative to the base housing.