Laparoscopic Oximeter Tip Design for Reusable Tissue Oximetry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oximeters face challenges in improving form factor, measurement accuracy, reducing measurement time, lowering cost, and reducing size and power consumption, particularly in clinical settings where rapid and accurate oxygen saturation measurements are crucial for assessing tissue health.
Innovation Solution
A laparoscopic medical device with an oximeter sensor at its tip, allowing for intraoperative tissue oximetry measurements, featuring a separable design with reusable electronics and disposable laparoscopic elements, and wireless communication with a display for quick and accurate oxygen saturation determination using multiple reflectance curves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a traditional oximeter design is used, then measurement accuracy can be maintained, but device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The oximeter is divided into two separate components: a reusable handpiece containing the electronics and a disposable laparoscopic element containing the sensor. This segmentation allows the complex electronic components to be housed in a separate unit, reducing the complexity of the disposable portion while maintaining measurement accuracy capabilities in the reusable portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic components are extracted from the laparoscopic probe and placed in a separate handpiece unit. This extraction reduces the size and complexity of the disposable laparoscopic element while preserving the measurement functionality in the reusable electronics.
2Measurement precision
If expensive electronics are integrated into the disposable laparoscopic probe, then measurement capabilities are improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The design allows the expensive electronic components to be recovered and reused across multiple procedures by separating them from the disposable laparoscopic element. Only the less expensive sensor portion is discarded after a single use, significantly reducing the per-procedure cost while maintaining measurement capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor portion is designed as a inexpensive disposable component that can be easily replaced, while the expensive electronics are reused. This approach uses the disposable nature of the sensor to reduce overall system cost.
3Productivity
If rapid measurements are performed in surgical settings, then productivity increases, but measurement accuracy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-processing optical signals and implementing rapid measurement algorithms that can quickly determine oxygen saturation levels without compromising accuracy. The electronics are configured to rapidly acquire and process spectral data in real-time during surgery.
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 rapid, accurate, and cost-effective oxygen saturation measurements in challenging surgical environments, facilitating the reuse of expensive components and enhancing patient care through improved tissue oximetry capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
Light absorption differs significantly for oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobins at certain wavelengths of light. Tissue oximeters can measure oxygen levels in human tissue by exploiting these light-absorption differences.
Implementation Method 2
The probe can use sensor head position on the laparoscopic element in combination with a relatively large number of simulated reflectance curves to quickly determine the optical properties of such internal tissue under investigation.
Data Source
AI summary
A laparoscopic medical device includes an oximeter sensor at its tip, which allows the making of oxygen saturation measurements laparoscopically. The device can be a unitary design, wherein a laparoscopic element includes electronics for the oximeter sensor at a distal end (e.g., opposite the tip). The device can be a multiple piece design (e.g., two-piece design), where some electronics is in a separate housing from the laparoscopic element, and the pieces (or portions) are removably connected together. The laparoscopic element can be removed and disposed of; so, the electronics can be reused multiple times with replacement laparoscopic elements. The electronics can include a processing unit for control, computation, or display, or any combination of these. However, in an implementation, the electronics can connect wirelessly to other electronics (e.g., another processing unit) for further control, computation, or display, or any combination of these.