Endoscope Puncture Needle Stylet Sheath Separation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing puncture needles for endoscopes face challenges in effectively navigating and inserting the needle tip into tissues due to bending of the sheath, leading to potential sticking of the needle tip within the sheath, which complicates tissue penetration during biopsy procedures.

Innovation Solution

A puncture needle system with a flexible sheath and needle tube, where a stylet is used to protrude from the needle tube, allowing the needle tip to be positioned away from the sheath's inner surface, and a positioning mechanism ensures the needle tip remains separate from the sheath even when the sheath is bent, facilitating easy tissue penetration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the sheath is bent by the bending section to navigate the endoscope through the channel, then the endoscope can reach deep parts of organs for biopsy, but the needle tip may stick to the inner surface of the sheath, preventing effective tissue penetration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to navigate channel and reach deep tissuesVSAvoidease of tissue penetration

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The needle tube is pre-positioned to protrude from the sheath before the puncture procedure begins. This preliminary protrusion ensures that when the sheath is bent during navigation, the needle tip remains separated from the sheath's inner surface, preventing sticking and maintaining readiness for immediate tissue penetration without requiring additional manipulation during the procedure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A biasing element acts as an intermediary between the needle tube and the sheath, applying a continuous outward force that pushes the needle tube against the sheath's inner surface. This intermediary mechanism ensures reliable separation of the needle tip from the sheath during bending, eliminating the need for complex active control systems while maintaining consistent needle positioning

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If the needle tube is inserted deep into the sheath for stable positioning, then the needle can be securely held during manipulation, but the needle tip gets lodged in the sheath's inner surface and cannot penetrate tissue

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestable positioning of needle tubeVSAvoidease of tissue penetration

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The needle tube is pre-positioned with a predetermined protrusion length from the sheath's distal end before the procedure starts. This preliminary configuration simultaneously achieves stable positioning (through sufficient insertion depth) and effective tissue penetration (through guaranteed tip separation), resolving the contradiction without requiring active adjustment during the procedure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The biasing element serves as a mechanical intermediary that maintains the needle tube in a protruded state throughout the procedure. By applying continuous elastic or mechanical force, it ensures the needle tip remains separated from the sheath's inner surface while the needle tube stays securely positioned, eliminating the need to choose between stability and penetration capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the sheath is made flexible to allow bending during insertion, then the endoscope can navigate complex anatomical paths, but the needle tip cannot be reliably positioned away from the sheath's inner surface when bent

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to bend and navigateVSAvoidprecise needle tip positioning

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The needle tube is pre-configured with a protrusion length that accounts for the maximum expected bending of the sheath. This preliminary design ensures that even when the flexible sheath is bent to its maximum curvature during navigation through complex anatomical paths, the needle tip maintains sufficient separation from the sheath's inner surface, achieving reliable positioning without active control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The biasing element acts as a mechanical intermediary that compensates for the flexibility of the sheath. By applying continuous outward force on the needle tube, it ensures that regardless of how much the sheath bends during navigation, the needle tip remains positioned away from the sheath's inner surface, maintaining precise positioning capability while preserving sheath flexibility for navigation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9693803B2Puncture needle for endoscope and biopsy system

Publication Date: 2017.07.04 OLYMPUS CORPORATION(JP)

AI summary

A puncture needle for an endoscope includes a flexible sheath having a longitudinal axis and deformed to be bent by a raising base, a flexible needle tube having a needle tip and a distal opening section and that is movable in the sheath with respect to the sheath, and a stylet having a distal end surface that is able to advance and retreat in the needle tube and protrude and withdraw from needle tube along the longitudinal axis of the sheath, wherein the stylet retracts the needle tip such that the needle tip of the needle tube is separated from an inner surface of the sheath as the distal end surface of the stylet comes in contact with the inner surface of the sheath formed in the bent shape.