Electro-surgical System with Integrated Optical Guide for Tissue Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgeons performing electro-surgery face challenges in determining the type and condition of tissue beneath the surgical device, leading to potential damage to critical structures and bleeding, as existing systems rely on imprecise light detection and cannot predict tissue composition beforehand.
Innovation Solution
An electro-surgical system with integrated optical guides and a spectrometer for diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, allowing for real-time tissue characterization and feedback control to adjust surgical modes proactively, reducing surface reflection and enabling deeper tissue analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a light delivery system is positioned in the hand piece to detect tissue, then optical feedback is provided, but the detection precision is reduced due to remote positioning causing surface reflection dominance
Solution Approach 1:
The light delivery system is segmented into multiple optical fibers positioned at different locations and orientations within the electrode portion. This segmentation allows light to enter tissue from multiple angles and depths, reducing the dominance of surface reflections and improving the detection of subsurface tissue composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical fibers are positioned in three-dimensional space within the electrode portion, with varying depths and angles of light entry. This dimensional approach allows light to probe tissue at different depths, transitioning from surface-level detection to subsurface tissue characterization, thereby improving measurement precision.
2Ease of operation
If the surgeon decides on operating mode upfront, then the device can be configured, but the ability to react to actual tissue conditions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates real-time optical feedback through the integrated light delivery and detection system. The detected tissue optical properties are continuously monitored and fed back to the control system, which automatically adjusts the operating mode (cutting, coagulation, desiccation, fulguration) based on the actual tissue conditions encountered during surgery.
Solution Approach 2:
The electro-surgical device performs self-diagnosis and self-adjustment of operating parameters based on real-time tissue detection. The system automatically determines the appropriate operating mode without requiring manual intervention from the surgeon, enabling reactive control that adapts to actual tissue conditions.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If light detection is used to identify tissue, then non-contact detection is possible, but the detection depth is limited due to surface reflection
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple optical fibers are segmented at different positions and angles within the electrode portion. This segmentation enables light to penetrate tissue at various depths and angles, reducing the impact of surface reflections and improving the detection of subsurface tissue properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The light detection system transitions from single-point surface detection to multi-dimensional subsurface probing by positioning optical fibers at different depths and orientations within the electrode portion, enabling three-dimensional tissue characterization.
4Measurement precision
If the electrode portion is integrated with optical guides, then the device complexity increases, but the measurement precision improves
Solution Approach 1:
The optical guides are merged with the electrode portion into a single integrated structure. The optical fibers are embedded within the electrode assembly, combining the electrical and optical functions in one unified device, which improves measurement precision while managing complexity through integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated electrode-optical guide structure serves multiple functions: electrical energy delivery for electro-surgery and optical detection for tissue characterization. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, managing device complexity while improving measurement precision.
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 system provides accurate, proactive feedback to prevent damage to critical tissues and reduce bleeding by discriminating between tissue types and conditions, facilitating safer and more precise surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
an optical radiation source capable of emitting radiation
Implementation Method 2
optical unit for optical characterization of tissue type and/or condition based on diffuse reflectance spectroscopy technique
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An electro-surgical system (100) with an optical feedback functionality for performing electro-surgery on tissue (200) of patient. An electro- surgical device (105) has an electrode portion (110) with an optical guide (114) integrated therein. An optical unit (160) performs optical characterization of tissue type and/or condition, and is arranged for performing an analysis of the tissue type and/or condition. A control unit (170) generates a feedback control signal (FEEDCON) based on the analysis of the tissue type and/or condition, optical guide allows inspecting the tissue that is e.g. just a few millimeters ahead of the electrode portion (110) performing e.g. the cutting. As a result of the fast and reliable analysis performed by the spectrometer in the optical unit according to the present invention, the system can proactively react to what kind of tissue is in front of the electro-surgical portion i.e. the 'blade' of the electro-surgical device or the electro-surgical 'knife'.