Flexible Non-linear Needle Guide for Pelvic Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional straight and rigid needle guides are inadequate for accessing muscles behind the pelvic bone, such as the obturator internus muscle, due to their inability to navigate around obstacles, limiting the effectiveness of injections for chronic pelvic pain treatment.

Innovation Solution

A flexible, non-linear needle guide that can be temporarily or permanently configured to accommodate curved shapes, allowing the needle to navigate around impediments and access difficult-to-reach areas, featuring a base, guide member, and handle arrangement, with optional supplementary components like heating coils or imaging devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a straight and rigid needle guide is used, then the device structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot access muscles behind the pelvic bone such as the obturator internus muscle

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccessibility to pelvic musclesVSAvoidneedle guide structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The needle guide is designed with a curved configuration instead of a straight structure, enabling it to navigate around the pelvic bone and access deep pelvic muscles like the obturator internus muscle that are inaccessible with linear guides

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The needle guide incorporates flexibility allowing it to be temporarily or permanently configured in different shapes, enabling adaptation to various anatomical pathways while maintaining structural integrity for precise needle delivery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If a flexible non-linear needle guide is used, then accessibility to obstructed areas is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveneedle navigation capabilityVSAvoidguide configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The needle guide employs flexible materials and thin-walled construction that allow the guide to bend and conform to non-linear pathways while maintaining sufficient rigidity to accurately guide the needle to the target muscle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The needle guide can be divided into segments with different flexibility characteristics, allowing the proximal portion to be more rigid for stable handling while the distal portion is more flexible for navigating around pelvic structures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11439773B2System and methods for a non linear needle guide

Publication Date: 2022.09.13 DIGNITY HEALTH

AI summary

A medical device is disclosed including a needle guide. The needle guide includes abase, a guide member, and a handle arrangement. The base defines a base channel and the guide member includes a guide member channel in communication with one another and configured for receiving a flexible needle. The guide member includes a non-linear portion and is generally flexible to accommodate passage of a flexible needle through a corresponding portion of the guide member channel. The handle arrangement is configured to accommodate stabilization of the needle guide during deployment.