Pierceable Closed Sheath Tip for Tissue Impact Force Distribution

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sheaths used to extend elongated medical instruments into the body can cause tissue damage due to the force of impact against tissue surfaces, particularly when the sheath is extended in tight spaces.

Innovation Solution

A closed sheath tip with a solid end surface is designed to distribute the force of impact across the surface, reducing tissue trauma, and is configured to be pierceable by the elongated medical instrument, allowing it to extend through the sheath tip towards the tissue surface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the sheath is extended to convey the instrument toward tissue, then the instrument can reach the desired position, but tissue damage occurs due to concentrated impact force

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstrument delivery reliabilityVSAvoidtissue damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The sheath tip is segmented into a closed tip portion with a solid end surface, separating the impact distribution function from the instrument delivery function. This segmentation allows the solid end surface to distribute impact force while the lumen maintains instrument conveyance capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The solid end surface is pre-configured on the sheath tip before instrument insertion. This preliminary action ensures that when the sheath contacts tissue, the impact force is immediately distributed across the solid surface area, preventing concentrated tissue damage before the instrument is deployed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the sheath tip is closed with a solid end surface to distribute impact force, then tissue trauma is reduced, but the instrument must pierce the solid surface to extend through

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue traumaVSAvoidinstrument penetration difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The solid end surface is designed with localized pierceability at specific regions, maintaining solid surface integrity for impact distribution while creating localized zones that allow instrument penetration. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between protecting tissue and enabling instrument delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12296135B2Penetrable closed sheath tip

Publication Date: 2025.05.13 GYRUS ACMI INC

AI summary

Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for providing a sheath tip with a solid end surface configured to be pierceable by an instrument, where the solid end surface is configured to distribute force of impact with a tissue surface across the solid end surface. In an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus includes a closed sheath tip has a solid end surface configured to be pierceable by an instrument. The closed sheath tip is configured to be disposed at a distal end of a sheath defining therein a lumen configured to convey the instrument therethrough. When the closed sheath tip is presented at a tissue surface, the solid end surface of the closed sheath tip is configured to distribute force of impact with the tissue surface across the solid end surface and to permit the instrument to pierce the solid end surface and extend therethrough toward the tissue surface.