Endoscopic Wire Guide Segmentation for Clinician Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoscopic wire guides often extend inconveniently from the accessory port of an endoscope, posing a risk of undesirable contact with clinicians during procedures, as their rigid structure does not allow for optimal alignment and can interfere with the clinician's workspace.
Innovation Solution
The endoscopic wire guide features a proximal portion with a second segment that is less rigid than the distal segment, allowing it to collapse or droop when extending through the accessory port, thereby reducing the risk of clinician contact and maintaining alignment with the target anatomy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the wire guide has a rigid structure to maintain stability and alignment at the target location, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the risk of undesirable contact with the clinician increases and the wire guide extends at an inconvenient position or angle
Solution Approach 1:
The wire guide is divided into multiple segments with different rigidity characteristics. The distal portion (first segment) maintains rigidity for stable positioning at the target location, while the proximal portion (second segment) has reduced rigidity to allow collapse and drooping, reducing the risk of contact with the clinician.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the wire guide have different structural properties. The distal portion has a first diameter and rigid structure for positioning accuracy, while the proximal portion has a reduced second diameter and flexible structure for safety. This local differentiation allows each segment to perform its specific function optimally.
2Measurement precision
If the wire guide has a rigid structure to maintain stability at the target location, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to inconvenient extension angle and position
Solution Approach 1:
The wire guide is segmented into a rigid distal portion for positioning and a flexible proximal portion for ease of manipulation. The flexible segment can be easily routed and positioned by the clinician without resistance, while the rigid segment maintains the desired configuration at the target site.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire guide has localized structural variations where the proximal portion has reduced diameter and flexibility for easy handling, while the distal portion maintains optimal rigidity for positioning. This allows the clinician to easily manipulate the wire guide during the procedure.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the proximal portion of the wire guide extends horizontally or upward through the accessory port, then the wire guide maintains structural integrity, but the risk of contact with the clinician increases
Solution Approach 1:
The proximal portion of the wire guide is designed to be dynamically flexible rather than statically rigid. It can collapse and droop in response to gravitational force and handling, changing its configuration from a potentially hazardous horizontal extension to a safer downward-curving position.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigidity parameter of the wire guide is changed along its length, with the proximal portion having reduced rigidity compared to the distal portion. This parameter differentiation allows the proximal segment to safely collapse and droop while the distal segment maintains the rigidity needed for positioning stability.
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscopic wire guide apparatus for insertion through an insertion tube of an endoscope having an accessory port, the endoscope being configured for advancement into a patient. The apparatus comprises a wire guide disposed through the insertion tube for delivery into the patient. The wire guide has a distal portion and a proximal portion. The distal portion has a first diameter and the proximal portion has a second diameter less than the first diameter. The first diameter is more rigid than the second diameter. The second diameter is configured to allow the proximal portion to collapse when proximally extending through the accessory port of the endoscope and the distal portion extends at least partially beyond the distal end of the insertion tube.