Endoscopic Snare with Guide Tip and Torsion Spring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional endoscopic snares with a vertical oval shape struggle to maintain a consistent shape and angle, leading to difficulties in encompassing polyps and ensuring precise excision due to the shape's limitations in opening width and control during reduction.
Innovation Solution
An endoscopic snare tool with a loop wire positioned within a catheter shaft, featuring a guide tip with bisecting bores and a torsion spring to maintain a circular shape and angle, allowing for consistent deployment and retraction, and using composite braided or specially-treated monofilament wire for enhanced control and tissue excision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a vertical oval shape snare is used, then the snare can be inserted through the endoscope, but the opening width is insufficient to completely encompass the polyp perimeter
Solution Approach 1:
The snare loop is designed to dynamically change its shape from a compressed linear form during insertion to a circular shape during operation. The loop maintains its circular configuration as it is reduced, providing consistent control throughout the procedure while achieving sufficient opening width to encompass the polyp perimeter.
2Manufacturing precision
If the snare loop is reduced slowly and methodically to stay in place, then excision precision is improved, but the procedure time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The snare loop is designed to dynamically change its shape from a compressed linear form during insertion to a circular shape during operation. The loop maintains its circular configuration as it is reduced, providing consistent control throughout the procedure while achieving sufficient opening width to encompass the polyp perimeter.
3Ease of operation
If the wire is thin for flexibility, then ease of insertion is improved, but control during deformation and rotation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The snare wire is constructed as a composite structure with an inner core providing structural strength and an outer braid providing flexibility. This composite design enables the wire to be sufficiently flexible for easy insertion through the endoscope while maintaining adequate strength and control during deformation and rotation maneuvers.
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 snare tool maintains a consistent circular shape and angle, facilitating easier en bloc resection with disease-free margins and improved control during polypectomy procedures, reducing the risk of slippage and enhancing tissue marking accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a torsion spring positioned at a tip of the loop wire to additionally maintain the circular shape of the loop
Implementation Method 2
a torsion spring positioned at a tip of the loop wire to additionally maintain the circular shape of the loop and aid in excision of tissue
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscopic snare tool with a loop wire positioned substantially within a catheter shaft and capable of deploying from and retracting into a distal end thereof at a consistent shape and angle. The shaft may include a guide tip with bisecting bores which guides the loop wire as it deploys or retracts from a lateral position of the shaft so that a consistent shape and angle are maintained. The loop wire may be formed from a composite design or a specially-treated monofilament to further maintain the shape of the loop during reduction or expansion and may further include a torsion spring positioned at a tip of the loop wire to additionally maintain the circular shape of the loop and aid in excision of tissue.