Single-Use IUD Instrument with String Management System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intra-uterine device (IUD) insertion instruments face challenges in loading and placing IUDs hygienically, particularly for downfolding models, which are difficult to load but easier to place, and often result in string entanglement issues, requiring precise handling and multiple steps.
Innovation Solution
A single-handed instrument designed for loading and inserting downfoldable IUDs, featuring a base, navigator, open converger, driver assembly, and gated support, with a string management system for precise string trimming and a mechanism to ensure safe placement without reusing the instrument.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a downfolding IUD is used, then the IUD is easier to place in the uterus, but the loading process becomes more difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is divided into distinct functional segments: a base for stability, a navigator for guidance, an open converger for IUD positioning, a driver assembly for mechanical action, and a gated support for containment. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, making the complex loading process manageable and systematic.
Solution Approach 2:
The IUD is pre-loaded into the instrument in a folded state before the procedure. The instrument holds the IUD in a prepared configuration, allowing the arms to be positioned correctly beforehand. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex manual folding during the placement procedure, reducing the difficulty of the loading process while maintaining ease of placement.
2Ease of manufacture
If the IUD is loaded earlier or supplied duly loaded, then the loading process is simplified, but the IUD cannot return to the desired T shape in the uterus and does not work effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is designed to maintain the IUD in a dynamic, folded state during storage and transport, then enable controlled unfolding during the procedure. The gated support and driver assembly work together to hold the IUD folded initially, then release it in a controlled manner during insertion, ensuring the IUD achieves its functional T-shape in the uterus while allowing for advance preparation.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument acts as an intermediary device between the stored folded IUD and the final positioned T-shaped IUD in the uterus. It maintains the IUD in a prepared folded state during transport, then facilitates its controlled transformation to the functional T-shape during insertion, ensuring both advance preparation and proper final configuration.
3Ease of operation
If the string is attached to the IUD, then the IUD can be controlled and removed, but the string may entangle in the instrument and disturb safe placement
Solution Approach 1:
The string is extracted from the IUD body and routed through a dedicated channel in the instrument. The string management system separates the string path from the IUD folding mechanism, allowing the string to be pulled through cleanly without entangling with the arms or other components during the loading and insertion process.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument's string management system acts as an intermediary mechanism that guides the string from the IUD through the instrument structure to the external environment. This intermediary system prevents direct contact between the string and moving parts, eliminating entanglement risks while maintaining full control over the IUD for removal and adjustment.
4Reliability
If a single-use instrument is used, then hygiene and prevention of re-use are ensured, but the instrument complexity increases to prevent multiple use
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is designed with built-in single-use features from the outset, with destruction mechanisms integrated into the structure. The weakening notches and breakable connections are pre-positioned to ensure the instrument can be easily destroyed after one use, eliminating the need for complex locking mechanisms or electronic controls to prevent reuse.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument is designed to be discarded after a single use. The destruction mechanism allows the instrument to be easily broken into components after the procedure, ensuring it cannot be reused. This approach prioritizes hygiene and contamination prevention over instrument reuse, with the simple destruction feature being less complex than systems designed to control and track reuse.
Data Source
AI summary
An instrument (10) to downfold an intrauterine device (30), comprising a base (20) with a delatcher (26); a navigator (50) having an aligner plug (51A), a slot (56); an open converger (40) having a flange (45), a covered channel (41); a driver assembly (60) having a bidirectional carrier (61), a graduated tube (71), and a latching rod (81); and a gated support (90) having a leafy arm (91) and a downward fork (94) forming an inverted “U” gate (95) having sloped edges (97) with end points (96), at the other end, a holder (92) having an elongated grip (93) on either side; wherein a lower end (37) of the stem (33) of IUD (30) sits on a conical seat (82) having two resting points (83) on the latching rod (81), while a knot (38) of the string (31) sits in the knot room (84) on the latching rod (81).