Integrated Surgical Probe for Tumor Excision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical techniques for treating cancerous tumors lack precision and efficiency, particularly in locating and excising small tumors and their metastases, due to correlation errors between imaging and actual tissue position, and the dissociation between detection and excision tools, leading to reduced precision and a non-negligible number of false negatives.
Innovation Solution
A preoperative probe is coupled with an excision tool, allowing simultaneous detection and ablation of tumors using a detection head that measures signals from radioactive tracers and fluorescent molecules, eliminating correlation errors and enhancing specificity through real-time monitoring and neuronavigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate detection and excision tools are used, then the surgeon can perform detection and excision operations, but correlation errors occur between imaging and actual tissue position leading to reduced precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the detection probe and excision tool into a single integrated instrument. The detection head that measures signals from radioactive tracers and fluorescent molecules is directly coupled with the excision capability, eliminating the dissociation between separate tools and ensuring that detection and excision occur at the exact same location without correlation errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated instrument performs multiple functions: it detects tumor tissue through radioactive tracer and fluorescent molecule signals, provides real-time feedback to the surgeon, and simultaneously enables excision of the detected tissue. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate detection and excision tools while maintaining precise location accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If preoperative imaging techniques are used, then the surgeon can locate tumors before operation, but tissue displacement during surgery renders the preoperative location obsolete
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection actions during the surgical procedure itself. The detection probe identifies tumor tissue in real-time as the surgeon operates, providing continuous location information that accounts for any tissue displacement that occurs during surgery, making preoperative imaging updates unnecessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to the surgeon during the procedure. The detection head continuously measures signals from radioactive tracers and fluorescent molecules, giving immediate information about tumor location and boundaries as surgery progresses, allowing the surgeon to adjust for tissue displacement dynamically without losing accuracy.
3Reliability
If tissue samples are taken for extemporaneous analysis, then reliable anatomopathological diagnosis is obtained, but the surgical procedure time significantly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system performs preliminary identification of tumor tissue during surgery using radioactive tracers and fluorescent molecules. This preliminary detection provides sufficient information for the surgeon to proceed with excision without waiting for extemporaneous anatomopathological analysis, maintaining both reliability and surgical speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows the surgical procedure to skip the time-consuming step of extemporaneous tissue analysis. By using real-time detection of radioactive tracers and fluorescent molecules, the surgeon can directly proceed with excision based on immediate feedback, rushing through the procedure without sacrificing diagnostic reliability.
4Measurement precision
If standard anatomical imaging systems are used in operating suites, then real-time monitoring of tissue distortion is achieved, but the cost and complexity of implementation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential detection function from complex imaging systems. Instead of using full anatomical imaging systems, the detection head directly measures signals from radioactive tracers and fluorescent molecules at the tissue level, providing real-time location information with minimal complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces mechanical/optical imaging systems with a molecular-level detection approach. By measuring signals from radioactive tracers and fluorescent molecules directly at the tissue interface, the system achieves real-time monitoring without the complexity of standard anatomical imaging equipment.
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 more precise and rapid tumor excision with reduced false negatives, as it combines detection and excision in a single instrument, providing real-time feedback and improved specificity by correlating signal positions with actual tissue locations.
Implementation Method 1
measuring a signal emitted by radioactive tracers in a tissue area
Implementation Method 2
measuring a signal emitted by fluorescent molecules in a tissue area, in response to a light excitation signal
Implementation Method 3
an excision tool (1) comprising an ablation tool (112)
Data Source
AI summary
A peroperative probe for guiding a manual excision tool. The probe includes a detection head, an optical fiber for the reception and guidance of a signal emitted by radioactive tracers and fluorescent molecules in a tissue area, a photo-detector for converting the emitted signal into an electrical signal, a transmitter for transmitting information carried by the electrical signal to an analysis equipment, and a fastener for attaching the probe onto the manual excision tool, so that the excision tool can be used to remove a portion of tissue from the tissue area emitting the signal.