Fixed Depth Skin Flap Elevator for Consistent Mastectomy Tissue Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical devices lack the ability to accurately and consistently control the depth of skin flap elevation during mastectomy and other surgical procedures, leading to uneven skin flap thickness, which can result in compromised blood flow, delayed healing, incomplete tissue removal, and aesthetic irregularities.
Innovation Solution
A fixed depth skin flap elevator device with a handheld design featuring elongated arms and a blade holder, allowing for precise control and consistent separation of skin and subcutaneous fat at a predetermined depth, ensuring uniform thickness of the skin flap.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional scalpel blades or electrocautery tips are used for skin flap elevation, then the surgical procedure can be performed, but the depth of undermining varies significantly and cannot be accurately controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The device changes the critical parameter of cutting depth from variable to fixed by incorporating a blade holder with a predetermined depth setting. The blade is positioned at a fixed distance from the tissue surface, ensuring consistent undermining depth across all surgical sites without requiring continuous surgeon adjustment or estimation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (the fixed depth skin flap elevator with blade holder) between the surgeon and the tissue. This intermediary mechanically enforces depth control, translating the surgeon's cutting action into a standardized, predictable depth of undermining regardless of surgeon skill or fatigue.
2Productivity
If skin flap elevation is performed without fixed depth control, then the procedure can be completed quickly, but uneven skin flap thickness leads to poor blood flow, delayed healing, and tissue necrosis
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary action by pre-setting the blade depth before the surgical procedure begins. The blade holder is configured with a fixed depth measurement, so when the surgeon initiates cutting, the correct depth is automatically established without requiring intraoperative adjustment or real-time depth assessment during the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The device makes the depth control system self-regulating through its mechanical design. The fixed blade positioning and guide structures automatically maintain consistent depth without requiring active monitoring or adjustment by the surgeon, allowing the system to self-correct and maintain reliability throughout the procedure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If dermatomes are used for skin elevation, then partial thickness skin grafts can be harvested, but the device cannot cut through the fatty layer deep under the skin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal device that can handle multiple tissue depths and types. The fixed depth skin flap elevator is designed to cut through various tissue layers including skin, subcutaneous fat, and deeper structures, making it applicable for both mastectomy skin flap elevation and full-thickness skin graft harvesting, unlike dermatomes which are limited to partial thickness skin.
Data Source
AI summary
A fixed depth skin flap elevator device is provided. The device includes an elongated handle having a proximal end and a distal end. The device further includes an upper arm and lower arm mounted to, so as to extend longitudinally from, the distal end of the handle. The upper arm overlays the lower arm. At least free ends of the upper and lower arms are spaced apart by a distance which is equal to a pre-determined cutting depth. A blade is supported on the lower arm at about its free end. Translation of at least the lower arm within a tissue interior results in separation of a deeper tissue from a surface tissue at a pre-determined cutting depth to form an undermined skin and subcutaneous surface tissue flap of uniform thickness. A method of using the device is also provided.