Implant Coil Alignment With Edge LEDs for Injection Port Location

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Solution Overview

Problem

The aggregation of luminescent materials in resin-based soft portions of implantable medical devices leads to reduced near-infrared fluorescence, making it difficult to visually specify the position of these devices within the body.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a power receiving unit with a first coil and a light emitting unit, where the light emitting unit emits light to indicate the relative positional relationship between the device and an extracorporeal unit, allowing for easy confirmation of the device's position through visible light emission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If luminescent material is mixed with resin material to constitute soft portion, then position visibility is improved, but luminescent material aggregates and fluorescence intensity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenear-infrared fluorescence intensityVSAvoidposition specification accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the luminescent material from the resin matrix and places it in a separate adhesive layer. This separation prevents aggregation of luminescent particles within the resin while maintaining their fluorescent properties. The adhesive layer with dispersed luminescent particles is applied as a distinct component rather than mixing particles into the resin bulk.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite structure consisting of resin material for the soft portion and a separate adhesive layer containing luminescent particles. This composite approach allows each material to maintain its optimal properties - the resin provides structural integrity while the adhesive layer provides visible luminescence without particle aggregation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If luminescent material is mixed with resin material, then position detection is improved, but fluorescence emission is reduced due to concentration quenching

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveposition detection easeVSAvoidnear-infrared fluorescence emission
Core Design Contradiction:
Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The luminescent material is extracted from the resin and placed in a separate adhesive layer. This extraction prevents concentration quenching by maintaining optimal particle spacing in the adhesive layer, thereby preserving near-infrared fluorescence emission while still enabling position detection through visible light conversion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The adhesive layer acts as an intermediary between the resin soft portion and the external detection system. It contains the luminescent particles at optimal concentrations for fluorescence emission and serves as the interface that converts near-infrared light to visible light for position detection, preventing energy loss from concentration quenching.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If body portion is implanted in body, then medical treatment function is improved, but position specification by visual recognition becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemedical treatment reliabilityVSAvoidposition specification ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates luminescent particles that convert near-infrared light to visible light in the adhesive layer. This color change capability allows the implanted body portion to emit visible light when irradiated with near-infrared light, enabling easy visual recognition and position specification of the implanted device without compromising its medical treatment function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The adhesive layer with luminescent particles serves as an intermediary that bridges the implanted device and external visual detection. It converts invisible near-infrared radiation into visible light, allowing medical personnel to easily locate and specify the position of implanted devices while the devices continue to perform their intended medical functions reliably.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

Enables straightforward confirmation of the predetermined position of implantable medical instruments, facilitating accurate injection of medicinal solutions by providing a visible indication of the device's location.

Implementation Method 1

a light emitting unit, which emits light to indicate that a relative positional relationship between the medical instrument and the extracorporeal unit has reached a predetermined state

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight emission: Light Emitting Diode

Implementation Method 2

a power receiving unit including a first coil and a power receiving circuit, the first coil receiving power from the second coil

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP3998101B1Medical device, extracorporeal unit, power transmission sheet, and medical instrument
Publication Date: 2024.08.21 FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO LTD
  • EP3998101B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3998101B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3998101B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided are a medical device, an extracorporeal unit, a power transmission sheet, and a medical instrument with which it is possible to easily locate a prescribed part of the medical instrument that is used embedded in a body. The present invention comprises a power transmission unit 22 that includes a second coil 222 which contactlessly transmits power, a power reception unit that includes a first coil 15 that receives the power transmitted from the power transmission unit 22, and a medical instrument 10G that includes the power reception unit and is used embedded in a body, wherein the medical instrument 10G includes a notification unit that is composed of a plurality of light emitting units 60 that provides notification that a relative positional relationship between the power transmission unit 22 and the power reception unit has reached a predetermined state by emitting light using the power received at the power reception unit when the predetermined state is reached by the movement of the power transmission unit 22, and a soft unit 13 into which an injection needle is inserted, the plurality of light emitting units 60 being arranged so as to extend along an outer edge of the soft unit 13.