Percutaneous Release Instrument with Curved Beveled Cutting Rod
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical instruments for percutaneous release procedures, such as carpal tunnel and A1 pulley release, require large incisions and are not truly minimally invasive, often causing damage to surrounding tissues and structures during insertion and withdrawal.
Innovation Solution
A medical instrument with an elongated rod member featuring a beveled or flattened end designed for percutaneous procedures, allowing precise cutting with minimal tissue interference, and optionally incorporating sonographic guidance for enhanced precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If simple puncture needles or hook knives are used for percutaneous release procedures, then the procedure can be performed with minimal incision, but the instrument causes damage to surrounding tissues and structures during insertion and withdrawal
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument employs a curved rod member with a specific arc configuration that allows it to navigate through tissue planes without causing unnecessary damage. The curved shape enables the instrument to follow natural tissue contours and achieve the cutting action at the target location while minimizing disruption to surrounding structures during insertion and withdrawal.
Solution Approach 2:
The rod member features a localized cutting edge at its distal end, while the proximal portion maintains a smooth, non-traumatic profile. This differentiation allows the instrument to cause minimal damage during insertion and withdrawal, with tissue cutting confined only to the specific location where the beveled edge contacts the target tissue at the distal tip.
2Strength
If traditional surgical instruments are used for release procedures, then adequate cutting capability is achieved, but large incisions are required and sutures are needed to close the incision
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument replaces traditional mechanical cutting systems (knives, scissors requiring large incisions) with a streamlined rod member that achieves cutting through a beveled edge design. This allows the cutting function to be performed through a puncture-style insertion with minimal incision, eliminating or reducing the need for sutures while maintaining adequate cutting capability through the geometric configuration of the beveled edge.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the elongated rod member has a small cross-sectional area for minimal tissue interference, then tissue damage is reduced, but the cutting edge effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The rod member is constructed from materials that combine high strength-to-weight ratio properties, allowing the distal end to be shaped into an effective cutting edge while maintaining a small overall cross-sectional area. The material selection enables the instrument to cause minimal tissue damage during insertion while still achieving effective cutting at the target site through the optimized beveled edge geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The rod member exhibits localized structural optimization where the distal end features a beveled edge configuration concentrated at the cutting surface, while the proximal portion maintains a minimal cross-sectional profile. This local differentiation ensures that the small cross-sectional area does not compromise cutting effectiveness, as the cutting function is achieved through the geometric configuration of the beveled edge rather than overall instrument size.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical instrument for percutaneous release procedures, especially on upper or lower limbs, including percutaneous carpal tunnel release or percutaneous A1 pulley release. The medical instrument includes a handle portion to allow handling, orientation and manipulation of the medical instrument by a surgeon, and an elongated rod member secured to the handle portion and extending substantially within a defined plane. A first portion of the elongated rod member extends substantially along a first direction within the defined plane away from the handle portion, and a second portion of the elongated rod member is curved and/or bent within the defined plane. A free end of the elongated rod member, at a terminal end of the second portion, may be shaped as a beveled end including a beveled surface, which beveled end acts as a cutting device to severe tissue, and the beveled surface being inclined with respect to the defined plane.