Medical Dilator with Nested Sleeves for Tissue Trauma Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical techniques are invasive, causing trauma to patients during surgery, necessitating a minimally invasive system for tissue retraction and instrument insertion.
Innovation Solution
A medical dilating system comprising a dilator device with a tapered tip and a series of sleeves, which allows for gradual tissue penetration and dilation, featuring depth indicators for precise control, enabling the creation of openings in tissues with minimal trauma.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If current invasive surgical techniques are used to create openings in tissue, then surgical access is achieved, but tissue trauma is caused
Solution Approach 1:
The dilator device is segmented into multiple components: a tapered tip for initial penetration, a body for dilation, and multiple progressively larger sleeves that can be sequentially inserted. This segmentation allows gradual tissue expansion rather than single-step forced entry, reducing trauma while achieving surgical access.
Solution Approach 2:
The tapered tip performs preliminary action by creating an initial pilot opening in the tissue before the main dilator body is inserted. This preliminary penetration path guides subsequent components and reduces resistance during insertion, minimizing overall tissue trauma.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple sleeves are used for gradual dilation, then tissue trauma is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple dilation sleeves are designed to nest within each other in a telescopic arrangement. The smaller sleeves fit inside larger sleeves, allowing all components to be stored in a compact configuration. During use, sleeves are sequentially extracted and inserted, providing gradual dilation without requiring separate devices for each stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The dilator device is designed as a universal multi-functional instrument that can perform multiple functions: initial tissue penetration, gradual dilation through sequential sleeve insertion, and provision of a stable access channel. The tapered tip and body can be used alone or with various sleeve combinations depending on the specific surgical requirement.
3Measurement precision
If depth indicators are added for precise penetration control, then penetration precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Depth indicators are implemented as visual markings (such as colored bands or graduated lines) on the dilator device and sleeves. These visual cues provide immediate feedback to the surgeon about penetration depth without requiring complex electronic sensors or measurement systems, maintaining simplicity while improving precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical dilating system and method are provided that include a dilator device having an elongated shape with an exterior surface, a first end and a second end. The first end of the dilator device includes a tapered tip configured to penetrate and provide an opening in the tissue of a patient, and a plurality of sleeves cooperatively configured to widen the opening in the tissue. The dilator device includes an interior wall that generally defines an open interior volume extending from an opening of the second end of the dilator device to one or more openings in the tapered tip at the first end of the dilator device. Each of the plurality of sleeves has an elongated shape with an exterior surface, a first end, a second end, and an interior wall that generally defines an open interior volume substantially extending from an opening of the first end of the respective sleeve to the second end of the respective sleeve. The plurality of sleeves include at least a first sleeve operable to allow the internal wall of the first sleeve to be substantially positioned around the exterior surface of the dilator device, and a second sleeve operable to allow the internal wall of the second sleeve to be substantially positioned around the exterior surface of the first sleeve.