Location-Gated Biopsy Gun Activation for Interventional Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices can be inadvertently triggered at the wrong place or time, leading to unintended and potentially severe patient injuries during interventional procedures.
Innovation Solution
A system with a device control unit that sets medical devices to a safe state or an active state based on their location, ensuring they only respond to triggers when safely positioned to affect the subject, preventing unintended injuries by locking or unlocking the device mechanically or virtually.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the medical device is always able to respond to trigger signals, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of accidental activation and patient injury increases
Solution Approach 1:
The medical device dynamically changes its operational state based on location. The device transitions between a first state (unable to respond to trigger signals) and a second state (able to respond to trigger signals) depending on whether it is in a safe or unsafe location, respectively. This dynamic state change allows the device to be easily operated when needed while preventing accidental activation during navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
A control system acts as an intermediary between the trigger signal and the medical device's activation function. The control system receives the trigger signal and determines whether to activate the device based on the current location state, thereby mediating between operator input and device action to prevent accidental activation.
2Reliability
If the medical device requires location-based state setting, then the safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The location determination functionality and state control are merged into an integrated system. The control system combines location data from a location determination unit with state management, allowing the device to automatically transition between states based on location without requiring separate complex control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The medical device automatically determines its own state based on its location without requiring manual intervention from the operator. The device self-regulates by receiving location information and autonomously transitioning between the first and second states, reducing the need for complex external control systems.
3Productivity
If the device automatically transitions between states based on location, then the productivity is improved, but the risk of unintended activation during transition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device enters a preparatory state (first state) during navigation and transition phases, where it is unable to respond to trigger signals. This preliminary safety state is maintained until the device is confidently positioned in a safe location, preventing unintended activation during the vulnerable transition period while allowing efficient operation once positioned.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention refers to a system (100) for affecting a subject and a method for operating the system comprising a medical device like a biopsy gun (130) set in a first state in which it is not able to affect the subject based on a trigger signal or in a second state in which it is able to affect the subject based on the trigger signal, wherein the state is set based on a provided location of the medical device, i.e., for instance, is set based on the distance of the medical device to a target region. The location of the medical device is provided by a location providing unit (140) comprising, for instance, an imaging unit like an ultrasound system (142). Thus, unintended, possible dangerous injuries of the patient are prevented and the safety of the patient during the interventional procedure is increased.