Metallic Guide for Micro-Invasive Tissue Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current in vivo investigation and diagnostic devices face challenges in accessing and analyzing tissues or organs with limited accessibility, often requiring invasive biopsies that cause trauma and hemorrhage, and struggle with accurate diagnostic methods for pathologies like cancer, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Innovation Solution
A metallic guide with reactive groups, such as antibodies, is developed for micro-invasive systems that can be inserted through a flexible catheter, allowing for micro-sampling and analysis while minimizing trauma, featuring a structured surface with wells for biochemical interactions and improved flexibility and rigidity for precise tissue penetration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid tube or catheter is used for in vivo investigation, then the device can reach organs or tissues, but the trauma to the patient increases due to invasive procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the biopsy function into multiple fine needles arranged in an array, allowing simultaneous sampling of multiple tissue locations. This segmentation enables comprehensive diagnostic analysis while each individual needle causes minimal trauma, resolving the contradiction between diagnostic reliability and tissue trauma.
Solution Approach 2:
The device combines multiple functions into a single integrated system: navigation to target tissue, simultaneous multi-point biopsy sampling, and real-time imaging capabilities. This multi-functionality achieves reliable diagnosis through comprehensive tissue sampling while minimizing the number of separate invasive procedures needed, thereby reducing overall tissue trauma.
2Measurement precision
If fine needle aspiration or biopsy is performed to analyze tissue cells, then diagnostic accuracy improves, but the trauma and hemorrhage to the patient increases
Solution Approach 1:
The biopsy needle array segments the tissue sampling process into multiple fine, distributed punctures rather than a single large incision. Each fine needle causes minimal vascular disruption, and the segmented sampling approach achieves comprehensive cellular analysis accuracy while significantly reducing hemorrhage and subsequent cicatrisation trauma.
Solution Approach 2:
The device applies local quality by using extremely fine needles with minimal diameter at the sampling points, where precision is most critical. The needle array configuration ensures that each local sampling point causes minimal trauma while collectively providing sufficient tissue samples for accurate cellular and molecular analysis.
3Strength
If multiple elements are coupled to ensure tissue perforation capability, then the device can penetrate target tissue, but the flexibility and guidance capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs a flexible catheter shell that houses the needle array, allowing the entire assembly to navigate through tortuous anatomical pathways with ease. The flexible shell maintains the structural integrity needed for tissue penetration while providing the flexibility and guidance capability required for safe navigation to target organs, resolving the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
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 device enables minimally invasive, efficient access and analysis of hard-to-reach tissues with reduced trauma, allowing for accurate diagnostic and prognostic evaluations of pathologies through enhanced flexibility and rigidity, along with improved imaging and navigation capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
a metallic guide on whose functionalized surface are provided reactive groups, in particular antibodies or antibody fragments, which are specific of a substrate to be tested
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an analysis device, wherein said system includes at least one metal guide at one end of which is provided at least one series of pits to which are directly coupled reagents specific to a substrate, said end being a perforating one, while the other end is intended for controlling said guide and is optionally associated with a suction system. The guide may be inserted into a protection system that is removable at the level of the functionalized end, up to the micro-analysis and/or micro-sampling site, and/or into a medical instrument having an inner channel in which said guide may slide. The present invention also relates to the use of such a device for making a tool for diagnosing cancer, an inflammation, an infection, a neurodegenerative disease or a graft rejection in a patient, preferably by transparietal delivery. The invention further relates to a method for the ex vivo analysis of a substrate using such a device.