Needle Delivery Tool for Penile Prosthesis Implantation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current penile prosthesis implantation procedures involve handling multiple components, including a Keith needle, which can be hazardous due to its sharp end, and there is a need for a tool that simplifies the process by reducing the number of parts and minimizing exposure to the needle.
Innovation Solution
A tool with a tube and bore system that includes a suture slide and two eyelets on the needle, allowing the needle to be ejected and retracted through the tool's bore, reducing the risk of needle exposure and providing a simpler, safer implantation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a Keith needle is used for implantation, then the needle can penetrate tissue effectively, but the sharp end exposes surgeons to hazardous risks
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is nested inside a delivery tube that guides its ejection and retraction. The tube contains the needle during storage and insertion, then allows controlled ejection through the tissue, and finally enables safe retraction back into the tube, eliminating continuous exposure to the sharp end.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery tube acts as an intermediary between the surgeon and the sharp needle. The surgeon manipulates the tube rather than directly handling the exposed needle, and the tube's distal end serves as the interface for needle ejection and retraction, reducing direct contact with hazardous sharp surfaces.
2Reliability
If multiple components are used for implantation, then the procedure can be performed with standardized tools, but the number of parts to handle increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery tube combines multiple functions into a single component: it guides needle insertion, contains the needle during storage, enables controlled ejection, and facilitates safe retraction. This integration reduces the number of separate tools and components the surgeon must handle while maintaining standardized implantation procedures.
3Productivity
If the needle is ejected through tissue, then the prosthetic can be implanted, but the surgeon must handle the exposed sharp needle
Solution Approach 1:
The needle delivery system transitions from a static contained state to a dynamic ejection state and back to contained retraction. The tube allows the needle to be ejected dynamically through the tissue quickly, then immediately enables retraction back into the tube, maintaining productivity while reducing the duration of needle exposure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system includes a tool and a suture connected to a needle. The tool includes a bore formed in a tube, and a suture slide communicating with the bore. The suture slide has a curved surface formed between an exterior surface of the tube and the bore of the tube. The needle is disposed in the bore. A segment of the suture is disposed within the bore and alongside the needle. The suture is in contact with the suture slide, and a proximal portion of the suture extends out of the bore at the suture slide. The suture slide is located forward of the back end the needle. Tension applied to the suture ejects a pointed distal end of the needle out of the distal end of the tube.