Morcellator Shield Protects Bag During Tissue Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing morcellator devices fail to protect the bag from damage during tissue morcellation and do not effectively guide tissue into the morcellator, leading to incomplete removal of tissue and potential tissue fragments left in the body cavity.
Innovation Solution
A morcellator shield and bag assembly with a shield having a cavity and a moveable bag that expands to enclose tissue, preventing contact with the morcellator and guiding tissue into the morcellator while containing fluid and tissue fragments, ensuring complete removal from the body cavity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bag is used to enclose tissue during morcellation, then tissue containment is improved, but the bag is vulnerable to damage from the morcellator
Solution Approach 1:
A shield is introduced as an intermediary component between the morcellator and the bag. The shield has a cavity that receives the morcellator and positions it such that the morcellator blade cannot contact the bag, while still allowing the bag to enclose and contain the tissue being morcellated.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into separate functional components: the shield for protection, the bag for containment, and the morcellator for tissue processing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function without interfering with or damaging the others.
2Strength
If the bag is kept contracted for protection, then bag safety is improved, but tissue guiding capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bag is designed to be dynamically changeable between a contracted state (for protection during insertion and storage) and an expanded state (for tissue containment and guiding during the procedure). The shield remains stationary to protect the bag while the bag transitions between states as needed.
3Device complexity
If existing bag designs are used, then simplicity is maintained, but complete tissue removal is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The shield acts as a mediator that guides the morcellator and tissue into the bag, ensuring complete capture of all tissue fragments including those that might otherwise be left in the body cavity. The shield's cavity structure provides a controlled pathway that prevents tissue escape.
Data Source
AI summary
A morcellator shield and bag assembly including a shield having a cavity and a bag coupled to the shield. The bag is moveable between a contracted position, in which at least a portion of the bag is positioned within the cavity, and an expanded position. The bag has an opening that is in fluid communication with the cavity when the bag is in the expanded position. A method for using the assembly along with a morcellator to remove tissue from a body cavity. The method includes inserting at least a portion of the assembly into a body cavity, moving the bag to the expanded position, placing tissue in the bag, pulling the bag through an opening in a patient, inserting the morcellator into the assembly, and morcellating the tissue with the morcellator. The assembly is designed to contain the tissue being morcellated and prevent the morcellator from contacting the bag.