Percutaneous Access Pathway With Auto-Stop and Sealed Re-Entry
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for establishing intracranial access pathways are tailored for sterile operating room environments, making them difficult to perform outside these settings and increasing infection risk, with no devices optimized for use by non-neurosurgeons in non-sterile conditions.
Innovation Solution
A percutaneous access pathway system with an auto-stopping mechanism, allowing insertion using a drill that automatically halts upon entering the body cavity, and a sealing port that prevents contamination when not in use, enabling sterile connections and reconnections without full re-setup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sterile operating room methods are used for intracranial access, then surgical precision and sterility are maintained, but the procedure becomes difficult to perform outside the operating room and increases infection risk in non-sterile settings
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into distinct segments: a sterile intracranial access component that remains inside the body and a non-sterile external driver component that can be removed. This segmentation allows the sterile portion to maintain its integrity while the external portion can be manipulated in non-sterile environments, resolving the contradiction between maintaining sterility and adapting to different settings.
Solution Approach 2:
A sterile barrier or seal acts as an intermediary between the sterile intracranial space and the non-sterile external environment. This intermediary allows the device to function across the sterile-nonsterile boundary without compromising the sterility of the intracranial access, enabling use in both operating room and field settings.
2Productivity
If traditional burr hole procedures are performed by non-neurosurgeons in non-sterile environments, then rapid access is achieved, but infection risk increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The sterile intracranial access device is pre-assembled and sterilized before use, creating a ready-to-deploy unit that maintains sterility throughout the procedure. This preliminary preparation allows rapid deployment in non-sterile environments without requiring the operator to maintain sterility, thus achieving both speed and infection prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The intracranial access device is designed as a disposable single-use component that is pre-sterilized and discarded after one use. This eliminates the need for re-sterilization or complex sterilization protocols during the procedure, allowing rapid deployment by non-neurosurgeons while ensuring sterility is maintained through the disposable nature of the device.
3Adaptability or versatility
If repeated access to the intracranial space is required, then comprehensive monitoring and treatment are enabled, but each re-access increases infection risk and requires full re-setup
Solution Approach 1:
The intracranial access device incorporates a universal port or interface that can accommodate multiple different attachments (drainage catheters, monitoring probes, injection needles). This multi-functionality allows repeated access for different procedures through a single initial puncture, eliminating the need for repeated skin punctures and maintaining the sterile barrier, thus enabling versatile repeat access without increasing infection risk.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved method and device are provided for forming and/or maintaining a percutaneous access pathway. The device generally comprises an access pathway. The provided assembly substantially reduces the possibility of injury while accessing and/or re-accessing a body space.