Expandable Sleeve for Dilation Instrument
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mechanical dilation instruments often suffer from wide gaps between expanding jaws, leading to increased risk of trauma and pinching due to excessive pressure, and existing covers may slip unintentionally during expansion, compromising tissue safety and instrument stability.
Innovation Solution
A dilation device with a distally expandable section and an expandable cover that securely attaches to the handle section via a coupling mechanism, featuring a mesh material for radial elasticity and bayonet locking, ensuring secure attachment and even force distribution without slipping during expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an expandable cover is used to compensate for gaps between spreading jaws, then tissue protection and force homogenization are improved, but the cover may inadvertently slip off the expandable end during dilation
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is divided into distinct functional segments: a shaft portion that extends along the shaft, a coupling portion at the proximal end for secure attachment to the handle, and an expansion portion that radially expands with the dilation mechanism. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall system integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is designed to be inserted over the dilation instrument shaft in a nested configuration, with the shaft portion fitting over the shaft and the expansion portion covering the expandable section. The coupling portion is releasably coupled to the handle portion, creating a nested assembly that maintains proper positioning during use.
2Ease of operation
If the cover extends only over the expandable section, then it can be easily applied, but it may slip off when the dilation mechanism is activated
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling portion is designed to be releasably coupled to the handle portion before the dilation procedure begins. This preliminary secure attachment ensures that when the expansion section later expands radially, the cover remains firmly positioned and cannot slip off, while still allowing for easy initial application.
3Ease of operation
If mechanical dilation instruments are used, then force feedback with minimal hand movements is achieved, but wide gaps form between spreading jaws causing trauma risk
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable cover serves as an intermediary between the mechanical dilation instrument and the tissue. It covers the spreading jaws and fills the gaps between them, creating a continuous surface that distributes force evenly across the tissue while still allowing the mechanical instrument to provide force feedback with minimal hand movements.
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 solution provides secure attachment of the cover to the dilation instrument, preventing unintentional slipping and trauma, while allowing for even force distribution and reduced risk of tissue damage, with the mesh material capable of following instrument expansion without damage and offering a disposable or reusable option.
Implementation Method 1
The mesh material capable of following instrument expansion without damage
Implementation Method 2
bayonet locking, ensuring secure attachment
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention discloses a dilation device (4) comprising a dilation instrument (3) having a distal radially expandable section (32) coupled to a handle section (35) via an elongated shaft (31), and an expandable cover (1) for the expansion section of the dilation instrument (3) having a closed distal end and an open proximal end. The cover (1) has a shaft section (11) extending along the shaft (31) of the dilation instrument (3). The open proximal end of the cover (1) is detachably coupled to the distal end of the handle section (32) of the dilation instrument (3). Furthermore, the coating (1) itself is disclosed, which consists of a mesh material and has a shaft section (11) which is connected at the open proximal end to a coupling sleeve (13').