Penetration Sensor Device for Blood Vessel Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive surgeries face challenges in safely introducing instruments like needles, trocars, or dilators into the body due to the risk of injuring internal organs, tissues, blood vessels, and nerves, particularly because these procedures are often performed blindly.
Innovation Solution
A penetration sensor device with optical fibers is used during minimally invasive surgeries. This device transmits light through tissue and analyzes the reflected light to determine if a blood vessel is present near the tip of the instrument, allowing the surgeon to avoid damaging it.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If minimally invasive surgery is performed by blindly introducing instruments into the body, then the incision size is reduced and surgical access is improved, but the risk of injuring blood vessels and internal organs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements real-time feedback by using optical sensors at the tip of the instrument to detect blood vessels and provide immediate visual feedback to the surgeon through a monitoring system. This allows the surgeon to see blood vessels before the instrument tip reaches them, enabling proactive avoidance and preventing vascular injuries during minimally invasive procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary detection system consisting of optical fibers and sensors that act as a mediator between the surgeon and the hidden blood vessels. This intermediary system translates invisible anatomical structures into visible signals, allowing the surgeon to navigate safely without direct visual contact with the target area.
2Reliability
If traditional open surgery is performed to gain access to the target site, then reliable access and visibility are achieved, but tissue displacement and blood loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by detecting and identifying blood vessels before the instrument tip reaches them. The optical sensors continuously scan the tissue ahead of the instrument, allowing the surgeon to adjust the instrument path in advance to avoid blood vessels, thereby preventing blood loss while maintaining minimally invasive access.
3Reliability
If optical sensors are added to detect blood vessels, then vascular injury risk is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by designing the optical sensor system to perform multiple functions: detecting blood vessels, providing real-time visual feedback, and guiding instrument navigation. This multi-functional approach consolidates several safety and guidance features into a single integrated system, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining vascular safety.
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 effectively differentiates between blood vessels and nonvascular tissues, enabling surgeons to safely navigate instruments during minimally invasive procedures and reducing the risk of vascular injuries.
Implementation Method 1
A sensor unit at the tip of the penetration sensor device transmits light into tissue and light reflected and scattered from the tissue is transmitted to a monitoring console
Implementation Method 2
A sensor unit at the tip of the penetration sensor device transmits light into tissue and light reflected and scattered from the tissue is transmitted to a monitoring console
Data Source
AI summary
A method differentiates a blood vessel from a nonvascular tissue during a minimally invasive surgery using a device. A device may be any penetration sensor device, such as a dilator sensor device, a hollow needle sensor device, or a trocar sensor device, which penetrates the skin and subcutaneous layers to reach a target location inside the body. The penetration sensor device includes a sensor probe which can make optical measurements to determine various parameters of the tissue at the tip of the sensor probe. These parameters may include an optical signal level returned from tissue contacting the tip of the sensor probe, an oxygen saturation level of the tissue, a total hemoglobin concentration, a blood flow, and a pulse. Based on these parameters, the presence or absence of a blood vessel at the tip of the penetration sensor device can be determined while the device travels towards the target location for surgery.