Force-Determining Surgical Retraction Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical retraction devices often exert excessive forces on tissues, leading to trauma, post-operative pain, and prolonged healing times, with existing methods like median sternotomy risking sternal fractures and instability.
Innovation Solution
A retraction device with opposed retraction members and a drive mechanism, equipped with a force-determining device to measure and control the force applied to tissues during retraction, allowing for gradual and controlled tissue separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If retraction device exerts significant forces to separate tissue quickly, then surgical access is improved, but tissue damage and post-operative pain increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates force-sensing capabilities that provide real-time feedback on the forces being applied to tissue during retraction. This feedback mechanism allows the system to monitor force levels and adjust retraction parameters dynamically, preventing excessive forces that would cause tissue damage while maintaining adequate retraction speed for surgical access.
Solution Approach 2:
The retraction device employs dynamic control of retraction forces, transitioning from static force application to dynamically adjustable forces. The system can vary force magnitude and rate of application based on real-time tissue response and surgical requirements, optimizing both the speed of access and the minimization of tissue trauma.
2Area of stationary object
If retraction device applies high force to achieve sufficient exposure, then surgical access is improved, but sternal fracture risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
Force monitoring provides real-time feedback on the loads being applied to the sternum during retraction. This allows the system to detect approaching fracture thresholds and adjust retraction forces accordingly, maintaining sufficient sternal separation for surgical exposure while preventing forces that would exceed bone strength limits and cause fractures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes critical parameters including force magnitude, rate of force application, and retraction speed based on real-time conditions. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the device can achieve the necessary sternal separation for adequate surgical exposure while staying within safe force limits to prevent bone fracture.
3Productivity
If retraction is performed quickly to minimize surgical time, then productivity is improved, but healing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Real-time force feedback enables the system to optimize the balance between retraction speed and tissue protection. By monitoring tissue response continuously, the device can perform retraction at the maximum safe speed for each specific tissue condition, minimizing total surgical time while preventing the tissue trauma that would prolong healing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assessment of tissue properties and fracture risks before initiating full retraction. This preliminary characterization allows optimization of retraction parameters in advance, enabling faster safe retraction by pre-determining the maximum safe speeds and forces for the specific patient anatomy and tissue conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A retraction device including at least one pair of opposed retraction members, with each retraction member being capable of operably engaging the tissue to be retracted. A drive mechanism is operably engaged with at least one of each pair of retraction members for separating one of each pair of retraction members from the other to retract the tissue. A measuring device is operably engaged with at least one of the drive mechanism and one of each pair of retraction members, for determining and/or controlling a magnitude and/or rate of a force and/or strain imparted to the tissue by the drive mechanism via the retraction members as the tissue is being retracted. Associated devices and methods are also provided.