Oscillating Endoscopic Catheter for Atraumatic Fallopian Tube Navigation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for accessing and navigating the fallopian tube, such as guidewire and tapered catheter advancement, often result in trauma or perforation, and existing techniques require anesthesia and are not suitable for in-office procedures, limiting the ability for annual screening and cell sampling.
Innovation Solution
A transparent tapered-tipped endoscopic device with rotational oscillation and force limitation, featuring a CMOS-chip endoscope and a gauze cuff for cell sampling, is advanced through the fallopian tube while avoiding twisting and friction, allowing atraumatic passage and cell collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional guidewire and tapered catheter advancement is used, then fallopian tube cannulation can be achieved, but trauma or perforation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter incorporates an oscillating mechanism that vibrates the distal tip at high frequency during advancement through the fallopian tube. This mechanical vibration reduces friction and tissue adhesion, allowing the catheter to navigate the delicate tubal structure without causing trauma or perforation while maintaining cannulation success
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter features a flexible distal tip with a thin film construction that can conform to the delicate fallopian tube walls during advancement. This flexibility allows the catheter to navigate tortuous paths without rigid contact that would cause trauma, while still achieving reliable cannulation
2Ease of operation
If linear everting balloon is used, then endoscope delivery is achieved, but incremental retraction is needed to prevent perforation
Solution Approach 1:
The oscillating catheter eliminates the need for incremental retraction by using mechanical vibration during continuous advancement. The vibration prevents tissue adhesion and allows smooth, continuous motion through the fallopian tube, simplifying the procedure while maintaining ease of endoscope delivery
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter enables continuous advancement through the fallopian tube without the need for stop-and-retract cycles. The oscillating motion maintains continuous useful action during navigation, eliminating the procedural complexity of incremental retraction while ensuring safe endoscope delivery
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If rigid hysteroscope is used, then fallopian tube visualization is achieved, but severe patient pain occurs requiring anesthesia
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter uses a flexible distal tip with thin film construction that can navigate the fallopian tube without requiring rigid hysteroscope manipulation. This flexibility eliminates the need for tenaculum forceps and cervical manipulation, achieving tubal visualization without severe patient pain or anesthesia
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the rigid mechanical hysteroscope system with a flexible oscillating catheter system. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical cervical manipulation and tenaculum forceps, achieving visualization while avoiding severe patient pain
4Object-affected harmful factors
If rotational oscillation is applied, then atraumatic passage is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The oscillating mechanism, while adding some complexity, uses a relatively simple mechanical vibration system that can be integrated into the catheter structure. The benefit of eliminating tubal trauma and enabling continuous advancement outweighs the moderate increase in device complexity
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 device enables safe and pain-free navigation of the fallopian tube, reducing the risk of perforation and allowing for effective cell sampling, facilitating annual screening without anesthesia, and can be applied to other delicate tubular structures.
Implementation Method 1
The catheter is advanced through the fallopian tube while rotating in a reciprocal fashion to avoid friction and adhesion of the catheter to the tube wall
Data Source
AI summary
A falloposcope intended for use with a hysteroscope to access, image, and collect samples from a patient's fallopian tube includes a cannula having an angled tip oriented to engage a fallopian tube os when the cannula is transcervically introduced to a patient's uterus through the hysteroscope. The catheter has a distal viewing tip configured to be advanced from a distal end of the cannula into the patient's uterus through a cervical os. A viewing chamber has a wide proximal end attached to the distal viewing tip of the catheter, and the viewing chamber is at least partially transparent and typically tapers in a distal direction to provide a clear viewing zone for the endoscope as well as atraumatic advancement into the fallopian tube.