Pathologic staging compression apparatus and methods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for pathologic staging of cancers, such as colorectal cancer, are inefficient and prone to missing diagnostically relevant microscopic tissue, leading to inaccurate prognosis and treatment planning.
Innovation Solution
A pathologic staging compression apparatus that uses a compression tube with small holes to remove liquid fat from tissue samples soaked in acetone, allowing for the extraction of fibrous tissue and lymph nodes with improved accuracy and efficiency, utilizing hydraulic pressure and a fat containment and drainage system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional hand dissection is used to examine fatty tissue for lymph nodes, then the pathologist can identify some visible nodes, but the process is time-consuming and some microscopic tissue is inevitably left behind
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the fatty tissue component from the sample, separating it from the fibrous tissue and lymph nodes. By dissolving the fat in acetone and compressing the sample through a perforated tube, the fat is extruded through the holes, leaving behind only the fibrous tissue and lymph nodes for examination. This extraction process eliminates the need for time-consuming manual dissection while ensuring complete recovery of diagnostic tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the manual mechanical dissection process with a standardized mechanical compression system. Instead of using hand dissection with scalpels, the sample is compressed through a perforated tube using controlled mechanical force, which automatically separates and extrudes the fat while retaining the lymph nodes. This mechanical substitution standardizes the process and eliminates variability in manual technique.
2Measurement precision
If random sampling of tissue is performed to check for microscopic disease, then some diagnostic information may be found, but the process is inefficient and may miss relevant tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts all fibrous tissue and lymph nodes from the fatty tissue matrix simultaneously, rather than relying on random sampling. By dissolving the fat and compressing the sample through a perforated tube, the process retrieves all diagnostically relevant tissue in one operation, ensuring complete examination of the entire sample without missing any microscopic disease.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary processing of the entire tissue sample before examination by dissolving the fat in acetone and compressing it through the perforated tube. This preliminary action prepares the complete sample for systematic examination, eliminating the need for subsequent random sampling and ensuring all potential diagnostic areas are examined.
3Ease of operation
If manual dissection is used to remove fat tissue, then the pathologist can eliminate some irrelevant material, but the process is tedious and may overlook diagnostically relevant information
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fat tissue component through chemical dissolution in acetone followed by mechanical compression through a perforated tube. This extraction process automatically and consistently removes all fatty tissue while retaining fibrous tissue and lymph nodes, eliminating the variability and potential errors associated with manual dissection and ensuring reliable identification of diagnostically relevant tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces manual mechanical dissection with a standardized mechanical compression system that consistently and reliably separates fat from fibrous tissue. The controlled compression through the perforated tube provides reproducible results regardless of operator skill or fatigue, enhancing the reliability of tissue identification and elimination of diagnostic errors.
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 apparatus significantly increases the sensitivity and accuracy of pathologic staging by standardizing the processing of tissue samples, providing double or quadruple the number of lymph nodes compared to conventional techniques, and simplifying the dissection process, thereby aiding in better prognosis and treatment planning.
Implementation Method 1
Acetone dissolves lipids without affecting the integrity of fibrous tissue
Implementation Method 2
An arbor press, which is a mechanical device using a rack and pinion gear to exert a linear force, is then used to compress the sample in the tube
Implementation Method 3
Compressing the sample forces the fatty components to be extruded out of the small holes in the tube
Data Source
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AI summary
A pathologic staging compression device prepares a biological sample for pathologic staging by compressing the sample to remove liquid fat from the sample. In one embodiment, the apparatus preferably includes a compression tube, a removable drainage planum to hold the compression tube, a fat containment and drainage system, a gauge to monitor the extrusion force, use of hydraulic pressure to generation the extrusion force for sample compression, and ejection of the compressed sample after the compression tube has been removed from the drainage planum. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes an integrated riser assembly to stabilize and align the compression tube.