Imaging Needle Guide With Aiming Rings for Precise Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current needle placement techniques in minimally invasive surgeries lack a simple and cost-effective guide, leading to inaccuracies and a long learning curve, particularly in radiographic, ultrasonic, and MR imaging modalities.
Innovation Solution
The use of radiographic grids and adjustable needle guides, including proximal and distal aiming rings, and internally and externally adjustable needle guides, to facilitate precise needle placement through a two-dimensional aiming technique.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional needle placement techniques (bull's eye technique, triangulation technique) are used under imaging guidance, then needle placement can be achieved, but the learning curve is long and placement accuracy is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a needle guide device as an intermediary tool between the operator and the target tissue. This device incorporates radiopaque grids and aiming rings that serve as visual mediators during imaging, providing a simplified reference system that eliminates the need for operators to master complex traditional techniques like bull's eye or triangulation methods, thereby shortening the learning curve while improving placement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The needle guide device segments the needle placement process into distinct visual reference components: radiopaque grids divide the imaging field into measurable sections, while aiming rings provide concentric visual targets. This segmentation transforms the complex continuous task of needle positioning into discrete, easily interpretable visual cues that reduce cognitive load and training requirements
2Measurement precision
If complex guidance systems are implemented to improve needle placement accuracy, then precision increases, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential visual reference elements needed for accurate needle placement from complex imaging systems. By using simple radiopaque grids and aiming rings that appear directly on standard radiographic images, the device eliminates the need for complex external guidance systems while maintaining high placement accuracy through straightforward visual alignment
Solution Approach 2:
The needle guide device is designed to be universally compatible with standard radiographic imaging systems already present in medical facilities. The radiopaque components work with existing imaging modalities without requiring specialized equipment, making the system simple yet effective across different clinical settings
Data Source
AI summary
A needle guide comprising a base to which a pair of horizontal slide bars are secured, the horizontal slide bars including a channel opening running between the bars, a needle stabilizer with a central tube is slideably engaged with the pair of horizontal slide bars, wherein the needle stabilizer extends through the channel opening and has the ability to change positions along a length of the horizontal slide bar, an angular ruler is secured to the base and located proximal to the needle stabilizer to allow accurate adjustment of the angle of the externally adjustable needle guide and one or more virtual visualization bars to aid in visualization using radiography, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance (or any other medical imaging technology) to visualize the virtual visualization bars.