Light Applicator Pre-Piercing Alignment for Deep Tissue Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light applicators face challenges in piercing deep-lying tissue with minimal invasiveness due to the need for high manual force, often bending and missing the target, especially when targeting tissue far inside the body.
Innovation Solution
A light applicator system with a pre-piercing aid that includes a positioning element and a pre-piercing aid with a centrally arranged needle tip, allowing the light applicator to automatically align with the pre-pierced opening, reducing skin resistance and bending, and optionally using a miniaturized LED for light emission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a very thin and long light applicator is used to reach deep-lying tissue with minimal invasiveness, then the invasiveness is reduced, but the applicator requires high manual force for piercing which causes bending and misses the target
Solution Approach 1:
The piercing process is divided into two separate operations: first a pre-piercing aid creates an initial opening with high rigidity, then the thin light applicator is inserted through this pre-created opening. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-piercing aid performs the difficult piercing action before the light applicator is inserted. By creating the opening in advance, the subsequent insertion of the thin applicator requires minimal force and eliminates bending issues during the critical piercing phase.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a thin light applicator is used to minimize invasiveness, then tissue disruption is reduced, but the applicator bends under manual force during piercing
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the high-force piercing function (pre-piercing aid) from the light delivery function (thin applicator). The pre-piercing aid has high rigidity to maintain straightness during piercing, while the applicator remains thin for minimal invasiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-piercing aid acts as an intermediary that creates a prepared pathway through the tissue. This intermediary structure allows the thin applicator to pass through without requiring high force, thereby maintaining its straightness and preventing bending.
3Reliability
If manual force is increased to pierce through skin with a thin applicator, then piercing succeeds, but the applicator bends and misses the target tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-piercing aid performs the force-intensive piercing action first, creating a stable opening. This preliminary action ensures reliable penetration without compromising target accuracy, as the subsequent applicator insertion requires minimal force.
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-piercing aid serves as a mediator that absorbs the mechanical stress of piercing. By handling the high-force requirement separately, it protects the precision positioning of the thin applicator, ensuring both piercing success and target accuracy.
4Length of moving object
If a long light applicator is used to reach deep tissue, then treatment depth is increased, but the applicator becomes more flexible and prone to bending
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the function between a short, rigid pre-piercing aid and a long, flexible light applicator. The pre-piercing aid handles the rigidity requirement for stable piercing, while the applicator's length is optimized for reaching deep tissue without compromising overall system performance.
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 system ensures precise and minimally invasive targeting of deep tissue by reducing manual effort and bending, enabling cost-effective, sterile, disposable use, and homogeneous illumination of larger tissues.
Implementation Method 1
the pre-piercing aid has a needle tip arranged axially centrally with respect to the pre-piercing aid shaft
Implementation Method 2
the light applicator comprises a distal-side insertion portion with at least one actively light-emitting element, e.g. an LED
Implementation Method 3
fluorescence excitation, which can be used to distinguish pathological tissue from healthy tissue. The pathological tissue itself or an accumulation of bacteria indicating pathological tissue can be specifically fluoresced by means of light radiation
Implementation Method 4
light is applied directly to or even into pathological tissue by means of a light applicator in order to promote the light-induced formation of oxygen radicals by means of the locally enriched photosensitizer or marker substance and thereby destroy the pathological tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A light applicator system (19), for organic body (9) examination and/or treatment, includes a light applicator (1) with a distal-side insertion portion (13) with an actively light-emitting element and a needle tip (25) for piercing tissue (11) arranged axially centrally at the distal end. A positioning element (5) is fixable relative to the organic body and has a receptacle (3) for a light applicator defined position and orientation and in which the needle tip is guided axially centred. A pre-piercing aid (21) has a pre-piercing aid shaft (23) and an axially centrally arranged distal needle tip (15). The pre-piercing aid fits into the receptacle such that the needle tip is guided axially centred in the receptacle, and the pre-piercing aid has a defined orientation with respect to the organic body which corresponds to the defined orientation with respect to the organic body of the at least one light applicator.