Paracentesis Needle Impedance Tissue Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for performing nerve blocks, such as those using ultrasound guidance, struggle to accurately distinguish between different types of biological tissues like nerve, muscle, and adipose tissue, leading to potential damage and inefficiency in anesthetic injection.
Innovation Solution
A paracentesis assistance system that uses an electrode needle with high-frequency waves to measure and identify biological tissues based on temporal changes in electrical impedance, providing real-time feedback to operators for precise needle placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If ultrasound guidance is used to perform nerve blocks, then the procedure can be visualized and guided, but the ability to accurately distinguish between different types of biological tissues (nerve, muscle, adipose tissue) is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces electrical impedance measurement as an intermediary technique to bridge the gap between ultrasound visualization and tissue identification. The impedance measurement acts as a mediator that provides additional information about tissue properties, enabling differentiation between nerve, muscle, and adipose tissue that ultrasound alone cannot provide.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces reliance on operator expertise and visual inspection with an automated electrical impedance-based identification system. This substitution transforms the tissue identification process from a skill-dependent mechanical/visual assessment to an objective electrical measurement and analysis system.
2Reliability
If operators rely on ultrasound images and anatomical knowledge to identify target nerves, then the procedure can be performed with current equipment, but the accuracy and safety of nerve block are compromised due to difficulty in distinguishing nerve tissue from surrounding tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where electrical impedance measurements are continuously taken during needle advancement, and the results are immediately processed and displayed to guide the operator. This real-time feedback loop enables dynamic adjustment of needle position based on tissue identification, improving both safety and accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes changes in electrical impedance parameters as the needle progresses through different tissue types. By monitoring impedance variations and their rate of change, the system can identify transitions between tissue types, providing objective criteria for determining when the target nerve has been reached.
3Measurement precision
If electrical impedance measurement is added to ultrasound guidance, then tissue identification accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the electrode needle to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the puncture needle for delivering anesthetic and as the sensor for electrical impedance measurement. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate devices and minimizes system complexity while maintaining enhanced tissue identification capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines ultrasound imaging and electrical impedance measurement into a single integrated system. By merging these two modalities, the system provides comprehensive tissue identification without requiring separate independent systems, thereby managing complexity while delivering enhanced functionality.
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
Enables accurate identification of biological tissues, allowing for safer and more effective nerve block procedures by distinguishing between nerve and surrounding tissues, thereby improving the precision and safety of anesthetic injection.
Implementation Method 1
a measurement device that applies high-frequency waves to at least two electrodes of an electrode needle inserted into a biological tissue, and repeatedly measures the electrical impedance of the biological tissue where the electrodes are located
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a paracentesis assistance system that identifies the type of biological tissue. The paracentesis assistance system (10) comprises a measurement device that applies high-frequency waves to at least two electrodes (31 and 32) of an electrode needle (3) inserted into a biological tissue (9), and repeatedly measures the electrical impedance of the biological tissue (9) where the electrode (31) is located, the electrodes being arranged at the tip of the electrode needle in a longitudinal direction; and an identification device (2) that identifies the type of biological tissue (9) based on the temporal change in the repeatedly measured electrical impedance.