Multi-Lumen Catheter Retractor for Expanded Endoscopic Working Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoscopic procedures lack technology for minimally-invasive expansion of a working space adjacent to target tissues that could collapse during treatment, and there is a need for organizing endoscope and instruments to maximize maneuverability and visualization.
Innovation Solution
A multi-lumen-catheter retractor system with flexible tubes and a reversibly-expandable retractor that forms a larger working space, allowing independent manipulation and visualization of endoscope and instruments, and includes a double curved configuration to maximize distance from the target tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional endoscopic procedures are used, then the procedure is minimally invasive, but the working space collapses around the target lesion during treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested catheter system where multiple lumens are contained within one another. The innermost lumen contains the endoscope, the middle lumen contains the retractor mechanism, and the outermost lumen provides structural support. This nested arrangement allows all components to be delivered through a single access point while maintaining individual functionality, resolving the contradiction by enabling working space expansion without requiring multiple separate access points that would increase procedural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The retractor system incorporates dynamic elements that can transition between compressed and expanded states. The retractor members are designed to be collapsible for delivery and expandable at the target site to create and maintain working space. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt its volume as needed during the procedure, maintaining minimally invasive access while providing sufficient working space when required
2Ease of operation
If the endoscope and instruments are manipulated independently, then visualization and treatment are improved, but the working space is insufficient for proper maneuvering
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter system is segmented into multiple functional lumens that can be independently controlled. Each lumen serves a specific function: one for endoscope passage, another for retractor deployment, and additional lumens for instrument delivery. This segmentation allows independent manipulation of each component while maintaining adequate spatial separation, resolving the contradiction by providing both independence of control and sufficient working space volume
Solution Approach 2:
The retractor system utilizes radial expansion to create working space in a dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the catheter. By expanding radially outward from the catheter body, the retractor creates a three-dimensional working space that accommodates independent instrument maneuvering without requiring increased catheter length or complexity. This dimensional approach resolves the contradiction by providing adequate working space volume while maintaining ease of operation
3Adaptability or versatility
If the working space is expanded to maximize maneuverability, then instrument flexibility is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter system is designed as a multi-functional integrated unit where a single device performs multiple functions: providing structural support, enabling endoscope passage, deploying retractors for working space creation, and facilitating instrument delivery. The multiple lumens within the catheter can accommodate various instruments for different surgical tasks. This universal design resolves the contradiction by providing adaptability and versatility through a single integrated device rather than requiring multiple separate complex systems
Solution Approach 2:
The nested lumen structure allows the system to maintain a compact delivery profile while containing multiple functional components. The retractor members are nested within the catheter lumens in a compressed state during delivery, then deployed to create the expanded working space. This nesting approach resolves the contradiction by enabling the complex retractor system to be delivered through a simple catheter structure, thereby providing adaptability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity
4Illumination intensity
If a retractor system is introduced to expand working space, then visualization and maneuverability are improved, but the procedural trauma and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter and retractor components are constructed from flexible materials that can conform to the body lumen anatomy. The catheter shaft and retractor members utilize flexible polymers or shape memory materials that can be delivered in a compressed state and then expanded or rigidized at the target site. This flexibility resolves the contradiction by allowing the retractor system to be introduced through minimally invasive access without causing significant procedural trauma, while still providing adequate working space for improved visualization
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 3A
AI summary
A system for performing minimally invasive procedures in a body lumen of a patient including a flexible catheter (105) having a first lumen configured and dimensioned to receive an endoscope therethrough and a second lumen configured and dimensioned to receive a first flexible tube or endoscopic working instrument therethrough. The first flexible tube is movable through the second lumen and has a distal portion including a first curve extending in a first direction with respect to the longitudinal axis and a second curve extending in a second different direction with respect to the longitudinal axis. A retractor system (150) is positioned at a distal portion of the catheter and is movable from a non-expanded insertion position to an expanded position forming an expanded cage to form a larger working space. The distal portion of the first flexible tube is movable within the expanded cage.