Optical Assembly Thermal Conduit Coupling for Medical Laser Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light delivery systems for medical treatments, such as laser therapy, face challenges in preventing cross-contamination between patients and ensuring effective heat dissipation to avoid tissue overheating during irradiation.
Innovation Solution
An optical assembly with a thermally conductive and optically transmissive material, integrated with a thermal conduit and a coupling portion that can be releasably mounted to a light delivery apparatus, allowing for thermal communication with a heat dissipating surface and configured to be in two states: attachable and detachable, preventing re-attachment after use to prevent cross-contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the optical assembly is made permanently attached to the light delivery apparatus, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but cross-contamination risk between patients increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical assembly is segmented from the light delivery apparatus through a releasable coupling mechanism. This allows the optical assembly to be detached after each patient treatment, enabling separate sterilization or disposal while maintaining thermal communication during use through the thermal conduit integrated into the coupling portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling portion acts as an intermediary element that provides both mechanical attachment and thermal communication. It includes a thermal conduit that maintains thermal contact between the optical element and the light delivery apparatus heat dissipation surface while allowing for controlled attachment and detachment.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the optical assembly is made detachable to prevent cross-contamination, then cross-contamination risk is reduced, but heat dissipation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling portion serves as a thermal intermediary that maintains efficient heat transfer pathways. The thermal conduit within the coupling portion ensures that even though the assembly is detachable, thermal communication is preserved during the attached state, allowing heat to be efficiently dissipated from the optical element to the light delivery apparatus heat dissipation surface.
3Ease of operation
If the coupling portion allows repeated attachment and detachment, then ease of operation is improved, but prevention of cross-contamination deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling portion is designed with dynamic states - initially allowing attachment and detachment operations, then transitioning to a single-use state after first detachment. The mechanism enables easy operation during initial attachment/detachment but prevents re-attachment after use, ensuring cross-contamination prevention while maintaining operational ease during the intended use cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling portion is designed as a single-use component that is discarded after one attachment-detachment cycle. This ensures that the optical assembly cannot be re-attached to prevent cross-contamination, while still allowing easy attachment and detachment during the initial intended use. The coupling portion may be recovered for disposal or sterilization processing.
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 solution effectively reduces the risk of cross-contamination by allowing for separate sterilization or disposal of the optical assembly and ensures efficient heat dissipation, thereby enhancing patient safety and treatment efficacy while maintaining equipment hygiene.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal conduit in thermal communication with the output optical element and comprising at least one surface configured to be in thermal communication with the at least one heat dissipating surface
Data Source
AI summary
An optical assembly includes an output optical element having a thermally conductive and optically transmissive material and a thermal conduit in thermal communication with the output optical element and having at least one surface configured to be in thermal communication with at least one heat dissipating surface of a light delivery apparatus. The optical assembly further includes a coupling portion configured to be placed in at least two states. In a first state, the coupling portion is attached to the apparatus such that the at least one surface of the thermal conduit is in thermal communication with the at least one heat dissipating surface. In a second state, the coupling portion is detached from the apparatus after having been attached to the apparatus in the first state and in which the coupling portion is configured to prevent re-attachment of the coupling portion to the apparatus.