Flexible Suction Base for Minimally-Invasive Heart Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally-invasive coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures face challenges due to rigid stabilizers that immobilize the heart, leading to fibrillation and increased complexity and cost with robotic devices, which are often unaffordable and require extensive training.
Innovation Solution
A flexible base with suction attachment allows unrestricted heart motion, equipped with redundant contact elements and sensors for virtual stabilization, enabling a minimally-invasive CABG procedure without the need for expensive robotic motion compensation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If rigid stabilizers are used to immobilize the heart, then surgical stability is improved, but heart fibrillation and patient trauma increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible base made of compliant material that can conform to the beating heart surface. This flexible structure provides attachment stability for surgical tools while allowing the heart to maintain its natural motion, thereby preventing fibrillation. The base acts as a flexible shell that adapts to tissue movement rather than restricting it.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from static rigid stabilizers to a dynamic system where the base can move with the heart. The suction attachment mechanism allows the base to dynamically follow heart motion, maintaining stable tool positioning relative to the moving tissue without imposing rigid constraints that would cause fibrillation.
2Manufacturing precision
If robotic devices with motion compensation are used, then surgical precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the motion compensation function from complex robotic systems and implements it through the flexible base's passive compliance. Instead of active robotic arms with sensors and control systems, the solution uses the inherent flexibility of the base material to naturally accommodate heart motion, achieving surgical precision without complex machinery.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible base performs motion compensation automatically through its compliant material properties. The base self-adjusts to heart movement without requiring external sensors, control systems, or power sources. This self-service approach achieves precision while eliminating the complexity of active robotic compensation systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If robotic manipulators are used for minimally-invasive surgery, then surgical capability is improved, but training time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, complex robotic manipulators with a simpler, more affordable flexible base system. While the base may be disposable or single-use, this approach eliminates the need for expensive capital equipment and extensive training programs, making minimally-invasive surgery more accessible while maintaining surgical capability.
4Stability of the object's composition
If traditional rigid stabilizers are used, then heart immobilization is achieved, but surgical field stability and patient safety deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible base provides a compliant attachment surface that maintains reliable contact with the heart while allowing physiological motion. This flexible shell structure achieves stable tool positioning without the harmful immobilization effects of rigid stabilizers, thereby improving patient safety while maintaining surgical field stability.
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 solution reduces complications from heart immobilization, simplifies the surgical procedure, and lowers costs by allowing the heart to move freely during surgery while maintaining a stable surgical field, thus facilitating safer and more accessible minimally-invasive CABG operations.
Implementation Method 1
a base configured to be attached to tissue, such as by suction, while allowing substantially unrestricted motion of that tissue
Implementation Method 2
Vacuum may be applied to the chamber to hold the contact element and thereby the base to the exterior of the heart
Data Source
AI summary
A minimally-invasive anastomosis system includes a base that is inserted through an incision is made in the chest of a patient between two adjacent ribs. An anastomosis tool and a sensor are attached to the base. The base is attached to the heart, such as by suction, while allowing substantially unrestricted motion of the heart. The sensor provides a view of a surgical field to a display, such that as the base moves along with the motion of the heart, the view of the surgical field remains substantially steady.