Intubation Stylet With Shape-Memory Alloy Tip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intubation stylets are rigid, making accurate insertion of endotracheal tubes difficult and causing abrasions due to their fixed shape, particularly when maneuvering through the glottic opening.
Innovation Solution
An improved intubation stylet with a proximate firm and moldable portion and a distal portion made of a shape-memory alloy, such as nitinol, which deflects at a predetermined temperature to facilitate easier passage of the endotracheal tube through the vocal cords, reducing trauma and improving positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid stylet is used, then the stylet maintains a fixed shape for easy insertion, but it causes abrasions and makes accurate positioning difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stylet is divided into two distinct portions: a proximate portion made of rigid material for structural strength and ease of manipulation, and a distal portion made of shape-memory alloy for adaptive positioning. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill its specific function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The distal portion of the stylet changes its physical parameters (shape and flexibility) in response to temperature changes. When heated to a predetermined temperature, the shape-memory alloy transitions from its initial curved shape to a deflected shape, enabling accurate positioning at the glottic opening without causing abrasions.
2Ease of manufacture
If a fixed shape stylet is used, then the stylet is easy to manufacture, but it cannot adapt to the glottic opening geometry
Solution Approach 1:
The stylet's distal portion is designed to change its shape parameter in response to temperature. During manufacturing, it is set in a first direction, but when heated during use, it deflects to a second direction to adapt to the glottic opening geometry, combining ease of manufacture with adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The stylet transitions from a static fixed shape to a dynamic adaptive shape. The shape-memory alloy portion can change its configuration based on thermal conditions, allowing the stylet to adapt to different anatomical geometries while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Measurement precision
If the stylet is heated to deflect the distal portion, then accurate positioning is achieved, but additional heating equipment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The stylet utilizes the patient's own body heat to trigger the shape-memory effect in the distal portion. The thermal mass of the distal portion is designed to reach the predetermined temperature through contact with body tissues, eliminating the need for external heating equipment while achieving accurate positioning.
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 stylet's temperature-dependent deflection allows for superior positioning and reduced trauma during intubation, minimizing the risk of accidental insertion into the esophagus and enhancing the accuracy of tube placement through the glottic opening.
Implementation Method 1
a distal portion fixed to the proximate portion comprising a shape-memory alloy; the distal portion having a thermal mass; the distal portion having curvature in a first direction and a shape memory in a second direction, where the second direction is opposite the first direction; wherein at least a portion of the distal portion is configured to deflect from the first direction to the second direction at a predetermined temperature based in part on its thermal mass
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is an improved stylet with a firm and easily moldable portion attached to a tip constructed of a shape-memory alloy, where the tip is designed to deflect inside a patient's body to ease the insertion of an endotracheal tube with minimal trauma to the patient. The invention also includes a method of intubating a patient to minimize trauma.