Flexible Insulating Insert for Urethral Trauma Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hand-held surgical devices, particularly resectoscopes, used in electrosurgical procedures can cause trauma to the urethral mucosa due to the mechanical stress from rigid insulating inserts during insertion and use.
Innovation Solution
An insulating insert with a flexible component around its circumference, particularly at the distal end region, is designed to absorb mechanical forces, distributing them over a larger surface area and reducing trauma to the urethra.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid insulating insert is used to prevent electrical contact, then electrical insulation is improved, but mechanical stress on the urethral mucosa increases causing trauma
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a flexible coating layer on the insulating insert that contacts the urethral mucosa. This flexible layer absorbs mechanical stresses during insertion and use, preventing trauma to the mucosa while the underlying rigid insulating insert maintains electrical insulation. The flexible coating acts as a cushioning interface between the rigid structure and the biological tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating insert comprises a composite structure with a rigid insulating material core and a flexible coating layer. This composite design combines the electrical insulation properties of rigid materials with the mechanical compliance of flexible materials, resolving the contradiction between maintaining electrical insulation and reducing mechanical stress on tissue.
2Reliability
If a rigid insulating insert is used to prevent short circuits, then device reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to trauma during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible coating layer on the insulating insert provides a compliant surface that adapts to the urethral passage during insertion, reducing resistance and trauma. This improves ease of operation while the rigid insulating core maintains device reliability by preventing electrical short circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical parameters of the insulating insert surface by adding a flexible coating layer with different elasticity and hardness properties. This parameter modification allows the device to be inserted more easily while maintaining the electrical insulation properties needed for reliability.
3Reliability
If high-performance ceramic materials are used for the insulating insert, then electrical insulation and heat resistance are improved, but mechanical rigidity increases causing mucosa damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure where high-performance ceramic or thermally stable plastic material provides the rigid insulating core with heat resistance and electrical insulation, while a flexible coating layer reduces mechanical rigidity at the tissue interface. This composite approach maintains the thermal and electrical properties while reducing mechanical trauma.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating insert has different local properties: the core maintains high rigidity and heat resistance for structural integrity and electrical insulation, while the surface coating has low rigidity and high flexibility to protect the mucosa. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between heat resistance and mechanical trauma.
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 flexible component effectively reduces mechanical stress on the urethral mucosa, minimizing the risk of trauma and ensuring a gentler insertion and use of the hand-held surgical device.
Implementation Method 1
a force, which is applied to insert the instrument into the body and for all other relative movements between instrument and body, is transmitted directly opposite this contact region to the urethra or the mucosa. In particular, small contact surfaces lead to a high mechanical stress in the mucosa. This can inevitably lead to trauma or damage to the mucosa.
Data Source
AI summary
An insulating insert for a hand-held surgical device, by means of which insulating insert a human body is protected or not traumatized during use of the hand-held device. This is achieved by the fact that an insulating insert for a hand-held surgical device is formed like a tube and, at a proximal end region, has coupling means for detachable coupling to a distal end of a tubular shaft of the hand-held device. A circumference of the tube-like insulating insert has at least one flexible component. Through this flexible component on the insulating insert, mechanical forces between the urethra and the hand-held device can be damped during the insertion of the device into the human body.