Floating Cannula System for Precision Spinal Injections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical procedures, particularly those involving the spinal cord, brain, and joints, face challenges in achieving precision, safety, and efficiency due to the need for precise and controlled manipulations to avoid patient injury and optimize outcomes, especially when injecting therapeutic substances.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a floating cannula system with a base cannula, a floating cannula, distal and proximal stoppers, and a hollow needle, integrated with a stereotactic device and syringe pump system, allowing for precise injection of substances like neural progenitor cells into sensitive areas while accommodating patient movement to prevent tissue damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed cannula system is used for injection, then the structure is simple, but the precision and safety are reduced due to inability to accommodate patient movement
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula system transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamic one where the inner cannula can move independently within the outer cannula. This allows the system to adapt to patient movement while maintaining injection precision, resolving the contradiction between safety and complexity by introducing controlled mobility rather than rigidity
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula is divided into two separate components: an outer cannula and an inner cannula that can move independently. This segmentation allows each component to perform specific functions - the outer cannula provides structural support while the inner cannula accommodates movement, thereby improving safety without requiring a completely complex new system design
2Reliability
If a movable cannula is used to accommodate patient movement, then the safety is improved, but the precision of injection may be compromised due to movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates a ratchet mechanism that provides mechanical feedback to maintain the inner cannula's position relative to the outer cannula. This feedback mechanism ensures that once the inner cannula is positioned for precise injection, it remains stable even as the outer cannula moves with patient movement, thus maintaining injection precision while accommodating safety requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The ratchet mechanism acts as a pre-positioning and locking system that secures the inner cannula at the correct injection depth before patient movement occurs. This beforehand cushioning ensures that the precision is established in advance and maintained throughout the procedure, preventing movement-related precision loss while preserving safety benefits
3Length of moving object
If the cannula length is extended to reach deeper tissue sites, then the delivery capability is improved, but the risk of tissue damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inner cannula's ability to move independently within the outer cannula allows for dynamic depth adjustment during the procedure. The inner cannula can be advanced or retracted to reach the precise tissue depth needed while the outer cannula remains at a safer, shallower insertion depth, thus achieving deep tissue delivery capability without proportionally increasing tissue damage risk
Solution Approach 2:
By dividing the cannula into outer and inner components, the system separates the functions of safe insertion (outer cannula) and deep tissue delivery (inner cannula). This segmentation allows the longer inner cannula to perform the deep delivery task while the shorter outer cannula minimizes tissue trauma during insertion, effectively decoupling the relationship between total length and damage risk
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention teaches apparatuses, systems and methods for performing a variety of medical procedures, including those involving introducing one or more substances into a subject's body. In some embodiments, the invention teaches automatically performing guided injections into a tissue site (e.g. spinal cord) of a subject by using one or more electronically operated components including a cannula, a syringe pump, and a stereotactic device.