Removable Phacoemulsification Adapter for Fluid Path Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Phacoemulsification handpieces face challenges with contamination and sterilization, requiring rigorous cleaning and sterilization procedures that reduce their lifespan and increase costs, and lack versatility in motion types, necessitating separate handpieces for different surgical preferences.
Innovation Solution
A removable horn extension and nosecone with independent irrigation and aspiration pathways that can be easily attached and detached, allowing for selection of needle motion and isolating contaminated fluids from the handpiece, reducing the need for complete sterilization and enabling use of different tips with a single handpiece.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire handpiece is sterilized after each procedure, then cross-contamination is prevented, but the handpiece lifespan is reduced and sterilization costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The handpiece is divided into two segments: a reusable main body and a disposable fluid pathway assembly (horn extension and nosecone). The disposable assembly is attached to the reusable body, allowing the fluid pathways to be discarded after single use while the expensive handpiece body can be reused without complete sterilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid pathway components (horn extension and nosecone) are designed as disposable, single-use items that are discarded after each procedure. This eliminates the need to sterilize the entire handpiece, extending the lifespan of the reusable body while maintaining sterility through disposable components.
2Device complexity
If the fluid pathways are integral to the handpiece, then structural simplicity is maintained, but contamination risk increases and sterilization becomes mandatory
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid pathways are segmented from the main handpiece body through removable horn extensions and nosecones. This segmentation allows the fluid pathways to be easily detached and discarded, eliminating contamination risk to the reusable body while maintaining relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid pathway components (horn extension and nosecone) are extracted as separate, removable elements from the handpiece. This extraction allows these components to be discarded after use, preventing contamination of the main handpiece body while keeping the design relatively simple.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single handpiece is used by multiple surgeons, then cost is reduced, but versatility in motion types is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The reusable handpiece body is designed with universal compatibility to accommodate different types of horn extensions and nosecones. This allows a single handpiece body to support multiple motion types (longitudinal, lateral, rotational) by simply changing the disposable fluid pathway components, achieving both cost efficiency and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic reconfiguration by enabling surgeons to swap between different horn extension and nosecone types depending on the surgical procedure requirements. This dynamic adaptability provides motion type versatility while maintaining cost efficiency through a single reusable body.
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
This solution reduces the risk of cross-contamination, extends the lifespan of handpieces by minimizing sterilization frequency, and allows multiple surgeons to share a handpiece, reducing costs and increasing surgical efficiency by enabling both longitudinal and lateral motion with a single device.
Implementation Method 1
This is typically done by selectively powering a plurality of piezoelectric elements disposed adjacent a horn (also known as a wave guide). Expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric elements causes the horn to vibrate, thus causing a needle at the end of the horn to vibrate.
Implementation Method 2
A removable horn extension and nosecone with independent irrigation and aspiration pathways that can be easily attached and detached, allowing for selection of needle motion and isolating contaminated fluids from the handpiece
Data Source
AI summary
Current phacoemulsification handpieces require rigorous cleaning after each procedure because the aspiration and irrigation pathways for fluids are integral to the handpiece. According to the present invention, a removable horn extension and nosecone may be used with a phacoemulsification handpiece to allow for disposable fluid pathways exterior to the handpiece. This will reduce the cleaning time and effort, reduce cross-contamination, and increase the lifespan of the handpiece. Furthermore, the current invention allows different horn extensions to be used to excite different motions at the tip of the handpiece, depending on the preference of the surgeon.