Frustrated Total Internal Reflection Tissue Sealing Forceps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional surgical methods for sealing body vessels often leave foreign material inside patients and are not energy-efficient, as they rely on mechanical staples, clips, or radio frequency treatments that do not effectively utilize light energy for sealing and cutting.
Innovation Solution
The development of open or endoscopic surgical forceps with optics that create conditions of frustrated total internal reflection, allowing light energy to be efficiently delivered to tissue for sealing and cutting by totally internally reflecting light from the boundary between the tissue-contacting surface and air, and transmitting it through the surface when tissue is grasped, thereby reducing energy waste and eliminating the need for separate mechanical blades.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional mechanical sealing methods (staples, clips, sutures) are used to close body vessels, then sealing function is achieved, but foreign body material is left inside the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical sealing methods (staples, clips, sutures) with a photothermal sealing system that uses light energy to heat and seal tissue. The optical element absorbs light energy and converts it to thermal energy, which then seals the tissue without leaving foreign bodies inside the patient.
2Reliability
If radio frequency treatment is used to heat and desiccate tissue for sealing, then sealing function is achieved, but energy efficiency is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces radio frequency treatment with a photothermal system using light energy. The optical element is designed to absorb specific wavelengths of light and convert them to heat, providing more efficient energy delivery for tissue sealing compared to radio frequency methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the optical properties of the sealing surface, including the refractive index and absorption characteristics, to maximize light energy conversion efficiency. By carefully selecting and adjusting these parameters, the system achieves superior energy efficiency in tissue sealing.
3Reliability
If light energy is transmitted through the tissue-contacting surface continuously, then sealing function is maintained, but energy is wasted when tissue is not grasped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic optical system where the light transmission is controlled based on the presence or absence of tissue. When tissue is grasped, light energy is transmitted through the optical element for sealing; when tissue is not present, light reflection occurs to prevent energy waste. This dynamic control ensures energy is only delivered when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms to detect whether tissue is present on the optical element and accordingly controls light transmission. This feedback control ensures that energy is only delivered for sealing when tissue is actually present, preventing unnecessary energy consumption.
4Productivity
If separate mechanical blades are used for cutting tissue, then cutting function is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sealing function with a cutting function in a single integrated system. The same optical element and light source used for sealing can also be configured to cut tissue by controlling the parameters of light delivery, eliminating the need for separate mechanical blades and reducing device complexity.
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
This approach enables energy-efficient sealing and cutting of tissue using light energy, reducing foreign material left in patients and improving procedural efficiency by ensuring that light energy is only transmitted to the tissue when needed, thus enhancing the effectiveness of tissue sealing and cutting processes.
Implementation Method 1
one or both jaw member is optically designed so that light of a therapeutic wavelength is totally internally reflected from a boundary between a tissue-contacting surface of one or both jaw members and air, when tissue is not grasped by the surgical forceps
Implementation Method 2
incorporate optics to create conditions of frustrated total internal reflection to facilitate energy-efficient sealing and cutting of tissue using light energy
Implementation Method 3
This creates an evanescent wave on the tissue-contacting surface of one or both jaw members. When tissue is grasped by the surgical forceps, the tissue-contacting surface of one or both jaw members comes into contact with the tissue and the evanescent wave allows light energy to be transmitted to the tissue
Implementation Method 4
The light energy is absorbed by the tissue resulting in heat that is used to fuse tissue (e.g., sealing) and/or separate tissue (e.g., cutting)
Data Source
AI summary
A medical instrument includes two jaw members, at least one of which creates conditions of frustrated total internal reflection at a tissue-contacting surface when tissue is grasped between the two jaw members. The first jaw member may include an optical element having a tissue-contacting surface. The medical instrument also includes a light source that provides a light beam for sealing tissue. The light source is positioned so that the light beam is totally internally reflected from an interface between the tissue-contacting surface and air when tissue is not grasped by the jaw members. When tissue is grasped by the jaw members, at least a portion of the light beam is transmitted through that portion of the tissue-contacting surface that is in contact with the tissue. The light source may be movably coupled to a jaw member to scan the light beam and/or to change the incident angle based on optical properties of the tissue.