Needle Sheath System for Ultrasound Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in renal puncture procedures is the difficulty in visualizing the needle placement during ultrasound-assisted renal puncture, due to the poor echogenicity of the needle and varying tissue density, which limits the adoption of this technique among urologists.
Innovation Solution
A modified needle and sheath system is introduced, where air or ultrasound contrast media is injected into a chamber at the distal end of the needle/sheath combination, forming ultrasonically visible bubbles that enhance visualization under ultrasound guidance, allowing for improved accuracy in needle placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If ultrasound-assisted renal puncture is used, then ionizing radiation exposure is eliminated and organ identification is improved, but needle visualization becomes difficult due to poor echogenicity
Solution Approach 1:
Air bubbles are introduced as an intermediary substance within the needle to enhance ultrasound visualization. The air bubbles serve as acoustic mediators that reflect ultrasound waves, making the needle path visible while maintaining the radiation-free benefit of ultrasound guidance
Solution Approach 2:
The echogenicity parameter of the needle is changed by introducing air bubbles into the needle lumen. This parameter change transforms the needle from poorly echogenic to highly echogenic, enabling clear visualization under ultrasound guidance without switching to fluoroscopy
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If fluoroscopy is used for renal puncture guidance, then needle placement can be visualized, but ionizing radiation exposure occurs and procedural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Air bubbles act as an intermediary that enables needle visualization through ultrasound reflection, replacing the need for fluoroscopic imaging and thereby eliminating ionizing radiation exposure while maintaining visualization capability
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If air bubbles are introduced into the needle, then ultrasound visualization is significantly improved, but the needle structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The needle structure is segmented into functional zones: a proximal sealed chamber for air injection and a distal open portion for bubble generation. This segmentation allows the air bubble visualization feature to be integrated into specific portions of the needle without complicating the entire needle structure
Solution Approach 2:
Air is preliminarily introduced into the sealed proximal portion of the needle before use. This preliminary action prepares the needle for enhanced visualization by pre-positioning the air bubbles that will be generated during the procedure, simplifying the operational sequence
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 system enables precise visualization of the needle tip within the renal calyx, facilitating accurate placement and potentially increasing the adoption of ultrasound-assisted renal puncture procedures by improving visibility and reducing procedural complexity.
Implementation Method 1
Air bubbles are very echogenic—the bubbles exiting the end of the sheath provide an ultrasonically visible landmark
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly for facilitating ultrasonic visualization of positioning of a needle inserted into tissue includes a needle that is inserted into a sheath to define a transport channel between an outer surface of the needle and an inner surface of the sheath for transport of a fluid that is introduced into the sheath. The transport channel includes features that induce formation of ultrasonically visible features from the fluid. These features exit from the end of the sheath where they can be detected via ultrasonic imaging.