Expandable Needle Member for Precise Substance Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing medical needles face challenges in accurately delivering substances to specific areas within the anatomy due to blockages, unintended tissue damage, and substance leakage, which can prolong procedures and cause trauma.

Innovation Solution

A medical instrument featuring a needle with an expandable member and a blocking member that moves tissue away from the needle's distal end and controls substance delivery to prevent leakage, ensuring precise targeting of intended tissue areas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a needle is used to deliver substances into the anatomy, then substance delivery is enabled, but tissue blockage or deflection may occur at the needle end

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubstance delivery reliabilityVSAvoidtissue blockage or deflection

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The expandable member is divided into multiple fingers that can independently expand and collapse. When expanded, these fingers separate tissue strands that would otherwise block the needle, allowing reliable substance delivery without tissue interference

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The expandable member transitions from a collapsed state during needle insertion to an expanded state during substance delivery. This dynamic transformation allows the fingers to actively move tissue away from the needle end, preventing blockage while maintaining delivery reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If a needle delivers substance into the anatomy, then treatment of target tissue is achieved, but unintended tissue damage may occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment accuracyVSAvoidunintended tissue damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The blocking member is selectively positioned at specific locations on the expandable member to control substance flow direction. This local modification ensures substance is delivered only to intended target tissue while preventing unintended delivery to adjacent healthy tissue

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The blocking member acts as an intermediary element that selectively redirects substance flow. It allows substance to pass through desired areas while blocking unintended pathways, thereby protecting healthy tissue from damage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If substance is delivered through the needle, then treatment is achieved, but substance may leak back towards the distal end of the needle

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubstance delivery efficiencyVSAvoidsubstance leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The expandable member is expanded before substance delivery to pre-position tissue away from the needle end. This preliminary action creates a controlled environment that prevents substance leakage back toward the needle during delivery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The blocking member serves as an intermediary barrier that prevents substance from leaking back toward the needle. By strategically positioning this barrier, substance flow is controlled to move only in the intended direction toward target tissue

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Measurement precision

If the needle is repositioned inside the anatomy to correct leakage or blockage, then delivery accuracy may be improved, but tissue trauma increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery accuracyVSAvoidtissue trauma

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The expandable member dynamically changes from collapsed to expanded state to actively manage tissue positioning. This dynamic adjustment maintains delivery accuracy throughout the procedure without requiring needle repositioning, thereby reducing tissue trauma

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the physical state of the expandable member (from collapsed to expanded) to alter tissue-needle interaction. This parameter change enables accurate substance delivery while minimizing the need for needle repositioning and associated tissue trauma

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This solution enhances control over substance delivery, reduces tissue trauma, and minimizes leakage back into the needle, thereby shortening procedures and improving precision.

Implementation Method 1

The expandable member is configured or enabled to move or deflect tissue away from a distal end of a tubular member that is in fluid communication with a fluid source

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical expansion:

Implementation Method 2

the medical instrument includes a blocking member that is enabled or configured to block the substance from being expelled through certain areas of the expandable member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical blocking:

Data Source

PatentUS11318288B2Instrument for delivering substances into the anatomy

Publication Date: 2022.05.03 GYRUS ACMI INC

AI summary

A medical instrument that includes a needle and an expandable member located at a distal end of the needle. The expandable member includes a blocking member. The expandable member is configured to move tissue away from a distal end of the needle and/or from a distal end of a tubular member that is in fluid communication with a substance source. A substance is configured to be expelled into the anatomy through the expandable member. The blocking member is configured to restrict or prevent the substance from being expelled through the portion of the expandable member that includes the blocking member.