Intraocular Surgical Tool Core Extension Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intraocular instruments are limited in effectively removing contaminants from the eye due to adhesion issues, making it difficult to completely clean the interior surfaces during surgery.
Innovation Solution
An intraocular cleaning instrument with a probe and core system, where the core with an active cleaning element can be partially or fully extended from the probe to reach contamination sites, equipped with an actuating device for precise movement and a locking mechanism, and optionally connected to a vitrectomy device for liquid dispensing or suction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the core is extended from the probe to reach contamination sites, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the risk of damaging the lens or other eye structures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The core is made of elastic material that can bend and flex to navigate around the lens and reach contamination sites in the posterior chamber without causing damage. The flexibility allows the core to conform to the delicate eye structures while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The core is pre-bent at an angle of 45° to 180° to optimize its reach toward the posterior chamber and lens areas. This curved configuration allows the active element to access hard-to-reach contamination sites while the elastic material ensures gentle contact with delicate structures.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the core material is made elastic to enable bending, then the ability to reach posterior chamber is improved, but the precision of positioning the active element decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The core transitions from a rigid, precisely positionable state during insertion to a flexible, adaptable state during operation. The elastic material allows dynamic adjustment of the core's shape and position to reach different contamination sites while maintaining sufficient positioning control through the actuating device.
Solution Approach 2:
The core is pre-bent during manufacturing to anticipate the need for reaching posterior chamber structures. This pre-configured curvature compensates for the loss of positioning precision by ensuring the active element is oriented correctly toward target areas even as the material flexes during insertion and operation.
3Length of moving object
If the core is pushed out of the probe to access contamination, then the cleaning reach is improved, but the complexity of the actuating mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The core is nested within the probe during storage and transport, and can be extended or retracted as needed during surgery. This nested configuration minimizes the overall device size and simplifies the actuating mechanism, as the core simply moves in and out of the probe rather than requiring complex deployment structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument is divided into separable components (probe, core, active element) that can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the core to be extended or retracted through simple relative movement between components, reducing the complexity of the actuating mechanism while maintaining the ability to reach contamination sites.
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 gentle and effective removal of contaminants, such as silicone droplets, from various eye regions, including the lens and posterior chamber, by allowing the core and active element to be precisely positioned and extended, facilitating thorough cleaning and potential use of cleaning liquids or suction.
Implementation Method 1
the core can be bent at a rate of 45 to 180 degrees when pushed out, allowing the core material to relax elastically
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an intraocular surgical tool, comprising a handle, a probe which adjoins the handle and is a hollow body, and a core located in the probe and having an active element at its end for removing debris from the eye, wherein either the probe can be moved at least partly out of the handle and into the latter relative to the core which is fixedly connected to the handle, or the core can be moved at least partly out of the handle and into the latter relative to the probe which is fixedly connected to the handle, such that the core, together with the active element, is located completely in the probe or projects out of the probe by a predetermined length, wherein an actuating device is provided in the handle, by means of which the probe or core can be actuated.