Flexible Containment Bag for Safe Tissue Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for removing tissue specimens or organs through small incisions or natural openings often result in the dispersion of unwanted tissue cells or biological material into the peritoneal cavity, posing risks, especially if the tissue is cancerous.

Innovation Solution

A device comprising a flexible bag or pouch with a collapsible support ring and direction-bearing indicia, allowing for the containment and removal of tissue specimens or organs without the need for power morcellators, minimizing the risk of cell dispersion by collapsing and expanding within the body to facilitate safe extraction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If a power morcellator is used to reduce tissue specimen size, then the tissue can be removed through a small incision, but cells or biological material may be dispersed into the peritoneal cavity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesize of tissue specimenVSAvoidcell dispersion into peritoneal cavity

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a containment bag that encloses the tissue specimen and morcellator, creating a nested structure where the morcellator operates inside the bag. This nesting approach allows the tissue to be reduced in size while remaining contained, preventing cell dispersion into the peritoneal cavity while still achieving the size reduction necessary for removal through a small incision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The containment bag serves as an intermediary between the morcellation process and the peritoneal cavity. It mediates the interaction by allowing the morcellator to function while blocking the harmful effect of cell dispersion, thus enabling size reduction without the adverse consequences

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If a large tissue specimen is removed through a small incision, then minimally invasive benefits are achieved, but the tissue must be reduced in size first

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveminimally invasive procedureVSAvoidneed for morcellation equipment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The containment bag is designed to perform multiple functions: it contains the tissue specimen, houses the morcellator during operation, and facilitates removal of the reduced tissue through the small incision. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized equipment, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining minimally invasive benefits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the removal process into distinct phases: containment, morcellation, and extraction. By dividing the procedure into manageable segments within the bag system, the complexity of each individual step is reduced, making the overall process easier to perform while maintaining minimally invasive advantages

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If high-speed cutting is used to reduce tissue size, then removal through small incision is enabled, but adverse effects on patient may occur due to cell release

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue reduction speedVSAvoidpatient safety

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the potentially harmful high-speed cutting process into a beneficial procedure by containing it within the bag. The same rapid morcellation that could disperse cells is now used to efficiently reduce tissue size while the bag prevents harm, thus converting a risky operation into a safe and productive procedure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS10561437B2Systems and methods for removing a tissue specimen or organ through a small incision or natural opening in a patient

Publication Date: 2020.02.18 BOEHRINGER LABORATORIES LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods for facilitating the removal of a tissue specimen from a patient are disclosed. The systems include a bag or pouch, a tissue cutter device, a support and a stabilizer. The tissue cutter device includes a passer, a wire, and a handle. The support is an elongated member. The passer is an elongated member configured to be coupled to the support and introduced as a temporary unit into the mouth of the bag or pouch in the patient's body holding the tissue specimen. The wire is attached to the passer. The temporary unit is configured to pass around the tissue specimen and out of the opening in the bag or pouch to carry the wire through that path so that a distal portion of the wire and a proximal portion of the wire are outside the patient's body. Those portions of the wire can be pulled to cut into the tissue specimen. The stabilizer holds the tissue specimen as the wire cuts into it. The bag or pouch includes direction-bearing indicia to facilitate viewing of the methods from within the patient's body.