Expandable Dilator Angular Offset Expansion Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dilators lack the ability to efficiently expand surgical access in soft tissue with angularly offset expansion, limiting the surgeon's working area and flexibility during procedures.
Innovation Solution
An expandable dilator with a dilation member and an expansion member that rotates relative to the dilation member, allowing for angular offset expansion, coupled with an actuator system to control the expansion and retention of the dilator blades, enabling a wider working area and improved surgical access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If conventional dilators are used with fixed blade configuration, then the device structure is simple, but the surgical access area is limited and working flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The dilator incorporates movable blades that can transition between retracted and extended positions, allowing the device to dynamically adjust its configuration. The blades are coupled to an expansion member that can rotate about an axis, enabling the blades to move from a first position to a second position that increases the cross-sectional area at the distal end, thereby expanding surgical access while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces rotational movement about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the dilator. This angular offset expansion in a different dimension allows the blades to expand the channel in a direction that increases working area without simply extending the device length, providing enhanced surgical access through dimensional transformation.
2Area of moving object
If conventional dilators with linear expansion are used, then the mechanism is simple, but the working area expansion is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion mechanism employs asymmetric blade positioning and movement, where blades can be selectively extended to different positions rather than uniform expansion. This asymmetry allows tailored expansion patterns that adapt to specific surgical needs, enhancing both working area and surgical flexibility while maintaining operational simplicity through the rotation-coupled mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic coupling between the expansion member's rotation and the blades' positional changes enables flexible control over the expansion pattern. By rotating the expansion member about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the surgeon can control blade extension to create asymmetric expansion patterns that optimize working area for specific surgical approaches.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the expansion member is rotatably coupled to enable angular offset expansion, then surgical access is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the expansion function with rotational movement by coupling the expansion member to the blades through a rotation mechanism. The expansion member rotates about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and this single rotational degree of freedom simultaneously controls the angular offset expansion of multiple blades, combining multiple functions into one mechanism to minimize overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The expansion member serves multiple functions: it acts as both the actuating mechanism for blade extension and the rotational control element. By making the expansion member rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a single component provides both the expansion force and the angular positioning control, enhancing adaptability while avoiding the need for separate control mechanisms.
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 expandable dilator provides enhanced surgical access by increasing the cross-sectional area at the surgical site, allowing for minimally invasive procedures with greater flexibility and control over tissue expansion.
Implementation Method 1
an expansion member that is coupled to the dilation member and which is movable, in particular rotatable, with respect to the dilation member from a first position to an expanded position so as to cause at least a portion of the dilation member to expand from a first configuration to an expanded configuration along a direction of expansion that is angularly offset with respect to the longitudinal axis
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Expandable dilators, dilation assemblies, and kits are disclosed, along with methods for using same.