Needle Guide Angle Locking for One-Handed Puncture Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing needle guide devices for medical procedures, such as biopsies, are cumbersome and require complex adjustments, often necessitating two-handed operation and additional accessories for precise angular orientation, which complicates the alignment and maintenance of needle-shaped devices during procedures.

Innovation Solution

A needle guidance device with a base element and a needle guide element allowing adjustable angular orientation in two independent degrees of freedom, featuring a clamping mechanism, angular scales, and pointers for one-handed operation, ensuring consistent needle contact at a fixed puncture site, and accommodating various needle shapes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a needle guide device with adjustable angular orientation in two degrees of freedom is used, then the precision and versatility of needle positioning is improved, but the device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to requiring multiple controls and two-handed operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveangular orientation precisionVSAvoidoperation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple control functions into a single operating element. The operating element simultaneously controls angular orientation in both degrees of freedom and integrates the clamping mechanism, allowing the user to adjust and fix the needle guide element's position with one hand, eliminating the need for multiple separate controls

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The operating element serves multiple functions: it adjusts the angular orientation in the first degree of freedom, adjusts the angular orientation in the second degree of freedom, and actuates the clamping mechanism to fix the position. This multi-functional design reduces the number of controls and simplifies operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If angular scales and pointers are integrated into the needle guide device, then the ease of operation for precise angular adjustments is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveangular adjustment easeVSAvoiddevice structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The angular scales and pointers are integrated directly into the existing structure of the needle guide device rather than being added as separate external accessories. This integration allows precise angular measurement to be read during normal operation without requiring additional equipment, balancing enhanced ease of use with minimal increase in overall device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If a clamping mechanism is integrated into the needle guide device, then the ease of operation for one-handed use is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveone-handed operation capabilityVSAvoidmechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The clamping mechanism is integrated with the operating element, which serves as a multi-functional control. The operating element not only adjusts angular orientations but also actuates the clamping mechanism to fix the needle guide element's position. This merging of functions into a single operating element enables one-handed operation while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4069107B1Needle guiding device, and set comprising a plurality of elements
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 COOK MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • EP4069107B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4069107B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP4069107B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6A-A

AI summary

The invention relates to a needle guiding device for guiding and positioning a needle-shaped device on a patient, wherein the needle guiding device has a base element and a needle guiding element on which the needle-shaped device can be guided along its longitudinal extent, wherein the angular orientation of the needle guiding element can be set in two independent angular degrees of freedom with respect to the base element. The needle guiding device has an operating element, by means of which the angular orientation of the needle guiding element in the two angular degrees of freedom can be fixed or such fixing can be released again. The needle guiding device also has, for each of the two settable angular degrees of freedom, an angle scale and an angle pointer associated with the relevant angle scale, such that the user can, on the basis of the position of the relevant angle pointer with respect to the associated angle scale, read off a currently set angular orientation of the needle guiding element in the two angular degrees of freedom.