Biopsy Needle with Helical Thread for Bone Marrow Retrieval

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for accessing and retrieving bone marrow are often difficult, traumatic, and inefficient, requiring substantial manual force, which can cause pain and damage, especially in children or patients with weakened bones, and may involve multiple insertion sites, increasing the risk of complications for both patients and healthcare personnel.

Innovation Solution

A bone marrow aspiration and biopsy system that includes a powered driver and coupler assembly to insert and rotate an aspiration or biopsy needle with a single helical thread for efficient specimen capture, along with a containment bag for sterile operation, reducing physical demands and improving control and speed during procedures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Force

If manual force is applied to break through the outer cortex of bone using conventional IO needle devices, then bone access is achieved, but patient pain increases and bone damage may occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanual force appliedVSAvoidpatient pain and bone damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical force application with a powered driver system that uses controlled rotational and linear motion to penetrate the bone cortex. The powered driver reduces the need for high manual forces by converting rotational motion into controlled linear advancement of the biopsy needle, thereby minimizing patient pain and risk of bone damage while maintaining effective bone access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Quantity of substance

If multiple insertion sites are used to obtain sufficient bone marrow, then adequate specimen quantity is achieved, but procedure time increases and risk to healthcare personnel increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebone marrow specimen quantityVSAvoidprocedure time
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a sterile containment bag system that creates a controlled sterile environment around the powered driver and biopsy needle. This allows the operator to perform multiple functions (insertion, aspiration, specimen retrieval) through a single insertion site without compromising sterility, thereby reducing the number of insertion sites needed and shortening overall procedure time while maintaining adequate specimen quantity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

Solution Approach 2:

The biopsy needle system is designed to perform multiple functions through a single device: cutting through the bone cortex, aspirating bone marrow, and retrieving a core biopsy specimen. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple separate procedures and insertion sites, reducing procedure time and exposure risk while obtaining sufficient specimen quantity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Quantity of substance

If conventional biopsy needle and aspiration needle procedures are performed separately at multiple sites, then adequate bone marrow is obtained, but operator fatigue increases and control is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebone marrow obtainedVSAvoidoperator control and fatigue
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the biopsy needle and aspiration needle functions into a single integrated powered system. The powered driver simultaneously performs bone penetration, bone marrow aspiration, and core specimen retrieval through one insertion site. This merging of functions into a single操作流程 reduces operator fatigue, maintains better control throughout the procedure, and eliminates the need for multiple separate needle insertions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Speed

If manual rotation of IO needle and trocar is performed, then bone penetration is achieved, but substantial force is required causing potential damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverotation speedVSAvoidforce required for penetration
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual rotation of the IO needle and trocar with an electrically powered driver that provides controlled rotational motion. The powered driver converts electrical energy into precise rotational and linear motion, eliminating the need for operators to apply substantial manual forces. This results in faster, more controlled bone penetration with reduced risk of damage to patient anatomy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 system reduces physical requirements, enhances control and speed, decreases patient discomfort, and simplifies the procedure for operators, while minimizing the risk of complications and trauma during bone marrow access and retrieval.

Implementation Method 1

a biopsy needle with a single helical thread operable to be engaged by the powered driver to rotate the biopsy needle during insertion into a selected target area

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHelical thread mechanism: Screw

Data Source

PatentEP2073728B1Biopsy device
Publication Date: 2018.11.07 TELEFLEX MEDICAL DEVICES SARL
  • EP2073728B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP2073728B1 patent drawingFigure 1C~1D
  • EP2073728B1 patent drawingFigure 1E~1F

AI summary

Apparatus and methods provided to remove biopsy specimens from bone and/or associated bone marrow. A powered driver may rotate a biopsy needle at an optimum speed to obtain the biopsy specimen. A thread or a groove may be disposed on interior portions of the biopsy needle. The thread or groove may engage a biopsy specimen and enhance removal of a bone marrow core from cancellous bone. Manufacturing procedures are provided for bonding a single helical thread with interior portions of the biopsy needle. The apparatus may also include a biopsy sample ejector and/or ejector funnel. A biopsy needle set may include a cannula and a trocar with respective tips having optimum configurations, dimensions and/or orientations relative to each other to optimize penetration of a bone and/or bone marrow with minimum patient trauma and enhanced reliability of obtaining a biopsy specimen.