Inflatable Dual-Layer Tissue Bag for Puncture-Resistant Containment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
During surgical procedures like myomectomy and hysterectomy, the risk of perforating tissue containment bags with surgical tools exists, leading to potential dissemination of cancerous cells, which can seed cancer growth at other body locations, and existing solutions fail to adequately prevent such leakage.
Innovation Solution
A tissue containment device with a dual-layered bag structure, featuring inflatable volumes between layers that form wall cavity regions, reducing the risk of perforation and leakage by ensuring any puncture affects both layers, and incorporating pressure monitoring and sealing mechanisms to detect and prevent breaches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single-layer containment bag is used, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability is insufficient due to potential undetected perforation and leakage of cancerous cells
Solution Approach 1:
The containment bag is divided into multiple layers (at least two layers) with inflatable volumes between them. This segmentation allows each layer to provide independent containment, so that if one layer is perforated, the other layer(s) remain intact to prevent leakage of cancerous cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The inflatable volumes are positioned between the layers to provide a protective buffer. When inflated, these volumes create a physical barrier that cushions against surgical instruments, reducing the risk of perforation. The inflation can occur before or during the surgical procedure to ensure protection is in place beforehand.
2Strength
If the bag walls are made thicker to resist perforation, then the puncture resistance improves, but the ease of insertion through a small access opening deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bag structure is designed to be dynamic rather than static. The layers can be collapsed or deflated to reduce the profile for insertion through small access openings, and then inflated inside the body to provide enhanced puncture resistance. This dynamic transformation allows the bag to adapt to different operational phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-layer structure with inflatable volumes between layers allows the layers to nest together when deflated, creating a compact form that can be inserted through small openings. Once inside the body, the layers are separated by inflating the volumes between them, providing both protection and ease of insertion.
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 device significantly reduces the risk of cancerous cell dissemination by ensuring that any puncture affects both layers, with pressure monitoring systems providing immediate detection and corrective actions, thereby enhancing safety during tissue removal procedures.
Implementation Method 1
at least one inflatable volume between the layers for expanding the bag
Data Source
AI summary
A tissue containment device (10) for isolating tissue from surrounding tissue during a surgical procedure to remove the tissue includes a bag (12) formed by one or more walls (14) defining a containment compartment (16) and an opening (18) for accessing the containment compartment. Each wall (14) is formed from at least two layers including an inner layer (20) facing the containment compartment and an outer layer (22) facing outwards from bag (12). The layers define between them one or more inflatable volumes (24). Layers (20) and (22) are interconnected at spaced-apart connection regions (28) that are arranged such that, when a fluid is introduced into the inflatable volumes (24), regions of the at least two layers between the connection regions form wall cavity regions surrounding an internal volume of the containment compartment.