Malleable Suction Device for Sinus Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical tools for nasal sinus procedures require multiple tools with specific shapes, which are costly and often not optimal for the specific task, despite advancements in malleable instruments that can bend, they lack the ability to retain shape and provide precise access.
Innovation Solution
A single rigid surgical tool with a flexible insertion tube, a bendable inner tube, and a rigid outer tube that can be shaped to fit specific sinus structures, equipped with magnetic sensors for tracking and a working tip for tissue contact, allowing for precise access and retention of shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple rigid tools with different shapes are provided to achieve optimal access to specific sinus regions, then the precision of access is improved, but the cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inner tube is designed to be bendable without breaking over a range of angles from 0 to 120 degrees in response to a bending force and configured to retain the bent shape after the bending force has been removed. This allows a single tool to dynamically change its shape to match the specific geometry of different sinus regions, eliminating the need for multiple pre-shaped rigid tools while maintaining precise access capability
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical tool combines multiple functions in a single device: the bendable inner tube provides shape adaptation, the rigid outer tube maintains structural integrity and tip positioning, and the integrated handle enables both bending and stabilization. This multi-functional design allows one tool to replace multiple specialized rigid tools
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid tool is used to maintain structural integrity and precise positioning, then the stability is improved, but the adaptability to different sinus shapes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is divided into distinct segments with different mechanical properties: a bendable inner tube for shape adaptation, a rigid outer tube for structural support, and a handle for control. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specialized function - the inner tube adapts to sinus geometry while the outer tube maintains structural integrity and tip positioning
Solution Approach 2:
The bendable inner tube is nested within the rigid outer tube, allowing the inner tube to flex and change shape while being constrained and supported by the outer tube. This nested configuration enables the inner tube to adapt to different sinus shapes while the outer tube maintains overall structural integrity and prevents excessive deformation
3Adaptability or versatility
If a bendable inner tube is used to adapt to sinus structures, then the adaptability is improved, but the ability to retain shape after bending deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The inner tube is specifically designed with dynamic characteristics that allow it to bend without breaking over a range of angles from 0 to 120 degrees in response to a bending force and to retain the bent shape after the bending force has been removed. This dynamic property enables the tube to adapt to sinus structures while maintaining the desired shape during the surgical procedure
Solution Approach 2:
The inner tube's material properties are optimized to change its flexibility parameters, allowing it to bend to specific angles and retain those angles. The tube can be bent to various configurations depending on the sinus anatomy and will maintain that configuration without requiring continuous external force
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 a cost-effective, single tool solution that can be shaped to fit complex sinus structures, providing precise access and maintaining rigidity for surgical procedures while tracking its location and orientation within the body.
Implementation Method 1
an inner tube, which is bendable without breaking over a range of angles from 0 to 120 degrees in response to a bending force, and which is configured, after being bent into a bent shape, to retain the bent shape after the bending force has been removed
Implementation Method 2
the at least one magnetic sensor is configured to generate a signal, indicative of a location and an orientation of the working tip within the body, in response to a magnetic field traversing the at least one magnetic sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical tool, consisting of a handle and a flexible insertion tube, having a proximal end coupled to the handle and a distal end configured to be inserted into an orifice of a living subject. The tool has an inner tube, which is bendable without breaking over a range of angles in response to a bending force, and which retains the bent shape after the bending force has been removed. The inner tube is located within the insertion tube. A flexible tubing defines a lumen and is contained within the inner tube. A tool working tip is configured to contact tissue in the subject and to mate with a distal termination of the inner tube. A rigid outer tube grips outer surfaces of the working tip and of the inner tube so as to maintain an opening of the working tip in communication with the flexible tubing lumen.