Expandable Containment Bag for Small-Incision Tissue Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing large tissue specimens during minimally invasive procedures are time-consuming, require multiple steps, and can lead to patient pain and longer recovery times, especially when using morcellators or manual reduction techniques, or when creating larger incisions for whole tissue removal.
Innovation Solution
A containment bag assembly with segmenting wires, an outer tube, and a flexible ring that expands to form a top opening, allowing easy placement of tissue specimens, integrated with segmenting components for efficient tissue segmentation and retrieval through small incisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If morcellators or manual reduction techniques are used to remove large tissue specimens, then the tissue can be removed through small incisions, but the procedure becomes time-consuming and requires multiple sequential steps
Solution Approach 1:
The containment bag is divided into multiple sealed compartments that can be independently manipulated. Each compartment can hold and remove tissue separately, allowing parallel processing rather than sequential morcellation steps. The bag itself segments the tissue containment function across multiple discrete units.
Solution Approach 2:
The containment bag is pre-formed and ready for use, eliminating the need for intraoperative assembly or manual reduction preparation. The bag is inserted in its complete, functional state with all sealing mechanisms and compartments already in place, ready to receive and remove tissue immediately.
2Productivity
If a larger incision is created to remove the tissue specimen in whole, then the removal process is simpler and faster, but patient pain and recovery time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The containment bag is designed to be inserted through a small incision in a collapsed or compact state, then expanded within the body cavity to its full functional size. This nesting approach allows the bag to deliver its full capacity through a minimal access pathway, maintaining minimally invasive benefits while providing ample working volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The containment bag transitions dynamically between a compact insertion state and an expanded operational state. This dynamic transformation allows the same structure to serve dual purposes: minimal access during insertion and maximum functionality during tissue removal, eliminating the need to choose between incision size and removal efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If the containment bag is designed to be easily opened for specimen placement, then tissue loading is simplified, but the risk of tissue spillage during manipulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The opening mechanism is extracted and separated from the main bag body, allowing the opening/closing action to occur at a distance from the tissue containment area. The operator manipulates the opening mechanism externally or at a safe distance, reducing the risk of accidental tissue spillage while maintaining easy opening capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealed opening mechanism acts as an intermediary between the operator and the tissue containment space. This intermediary provides a controlled interface that allows specimen loading while maintaining the integrity of the containment seal, preventing tissue spillage during the loading process.
Data Source
AI summary
A containment bag assembly for extracting a tissue specimen comprises a bag having one or more segmenting wires, an outer tube comprising a proximal and distal end, a flexible ring configured to form a top opening of the containment bag, wherein the flexible ring comprises two ring subassemblies, each having a proximal and distal end, a flexible member positioned between and coupled to the distal ends of the two ring subassemblies, wherein, when the flexible member is in a collapsed position, the two ring subassemblies are in a collapsed position and the containment bag is configured to be stored within the outer tube, and wherein, when the flexible member is in an expanded position, the two ring subassemblies and the flexible member bias the top opening of the containment bag to an open position to enable placement of the tissue specimen within the containment bag.