Flexible PCB End Effector for Sino-Nasal Energy Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical procedures for treating rhinitis are inaccurate and cause significant collateral damage.
Innovation Solution
A unique end effector design with retractable and expandable segments made of flexible printed circuit board (PCB) members and support elements, capable of conforming to anatomical variations within the sino-nasal cavity for precise energy delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current surgical procedures are used to treat rhinitis, then treatment can be provided, but accuracy is poor and collateral damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The end effector is divided into multiple retractable and expandable segments, each capable of independently conforming to specific anatomical structures. This segmentation allows precise targeting of individual target sites within the sino-nasal cavity, improving accuracy while limiting the spread of therapeutic energy to prevent collateral damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The end effector employs dynamic, movable segments that can transition between retracted and expanded states. The flexible PCB members and support elements allow the device to adapt its shape in real-time to match the patient's unique anatomy, enabling accurate energy delivery to precisely defined target areas without affecting surrounding tissues.
2Adaptability or versatility
If discrete therapeutic elements are used, then treatment delivery is possible, but adaptability to anatomical variations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The end effector incorporates flexible PCB members that can bend, twist, and fold to conform to the curved and irregular surfaces of the sino-nasal cavity. This flexibility enables the device to adapt to a wide range of anatomical variations while maintaining precise contact with target sites for localized energy delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The end effector utilizes changeable parameters in its design, including the expandable and retractable segments that can alter their physical dimensions and configuration. This allows the device to transition between a compact delivery state and an expanded treatment state, adapting to different anatomical sizes and shapes while maintaining manufacturing precision for localized energy application.
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
Enables accurate, minimally invasive, and localized application of energy to target sites, reducing collateral damage and improving treatment efficacy for rhinosinusitis.
Implementation Method 1
Each retractable and expandable segment may further include one or more flexible printed circuit board (PCB) members provided thereon. The flexible PCB members are composed of a flexible material capable of moving (e.g., bending, twisting, folding, etc.) between various positions in correspondence with movement of the underlying retractable and expandable segment
Data Source
AI summary
The invention generally relates to systems and methods for targeting of specific tissue(s) of interest in a sino-nasal region of a patient for the treatment of a rhinosinusitis condition. A device of the present invention includes an end effector comprised of one or more segments, each segment comprising one or more struts which can be in the form of loop-shaped struts or independent struts and each comprising a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) member for delivering energy to one or more target sites within the sino-nasal cavity of the patient while minimizing or avoiding collateral damage to surrounding or adjacent non-targeted tissue, such as blood vessels, bone, and non-targeted neural tissue.