Minimally Invasive Instrument with Expandable Sensor Head
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive instruments lack effective tactile sensing capabilities due to their small access channel dimensions, which restrict the size of the tactilely sensitive surface, limiting the ability to detect tactile stimuli and monitor contact pressure during procedures.
Innovation Solution
A minimally invasive instrument with an enlargeable sensor head featuring a flat sensor element composed of a film with spacers, where polymer-based resistance elements between the layers expand in response to tactile stimuli, converting these expansions into electrical signals, allowing for a larger tactilely sensitive surface to be provided beyond the access channel dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the tactile sensor is inserted through a small access channel, then the instrument can perform minimally invasive procedures, but the tactilely sensitive surface area is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor head is designed to be dynamically changeable in size. During insertion through the access channel, the sensor head is in a compressed first state with reduced dimensions. After insertion, the sensor head can be enlarged to a second state with increased tactilely sensitive surface area, allowing it to exceed the access channel dimensions while still being insertable through it.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor head with its large tactilely sensitive surface is nested within a delivery catheter or sheath during insertion. The sensor head is compressed or folded to fit within the narrow access channel, then deployed or expanded after reaching the target location, similar to a nested doll structure where the larger object is contained within a smaller container for transport.
2Measurement precision
If the tactile sensor provides a large tactilely sensitive surface, then tactile stimulus detection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tactile sensor utilizes a flexible film element as its sensing surface. This thin, flexible membrane can be enlarged to provide extensive tactilely sensitive area while maintaining a simple, lightweight structure. The flexibility allows the film to conform to various tissue surfaces and be compressed during insertion, reducing structural complexity despite the large sensing area.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor head structure is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the delivery mechanism (through the access channel) and the sensing element (with large tactile surface). The same structural components that enable compression for insertion also facilitate expansion for sensing, eliminating the need for separate complex deployment mechanisms and reducing overall device complexity.
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
Enables enhanced tactile sensing and monitoring of contact pressure by providing a larger tactilely sensitive surface that can exceed the access channel dimensions, improving the detection of tactile stimuli and pressure distribution during procedures.
Implementation Method 1
the sensor element comprises a film element with a first layer and with a second layer distanced by means of spacers from the first layer, wherein the sensor element has, arranged between the layers of the film element, expansion-sensitive, polymer-based resistance elements for picking up tactile stimuli. The tactile stimuli lead to expansions of the polymer-based resistance elements or can be converted into such expansions. The expansions of the polymer-based resistance elements in turn cause a change to a conductivity, which in turn can be converted into an electrical resistance signal
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a minimally invasive instrument comprising an enlargeable sensor head with a flat sensor element that has resilient properties. In order to enable an improved minimally invasive instrument, the sensor element comprises a film element with a first layer and with a second layer distanced from the first layer by means of spacers, wherein the sensor element comprises, arranged between the layers of the film element, expansion-sensitive, polymer-based resistance elements for picking up tactile stimuli.