Polymer-Body Needle With Embedded Wires for Biopsy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing metal biopsy needles face issues such as contamination, induced shape set, high friction, and reduced precision in location determination, which affect their performance and safety during minimally invasive procedures.

Innovation Solution

The development of medical needles with a polymer body embedded with longitudinal wires, a metal needle tip, and echogenic features, enhancing pushability, trackability, and columnar strength, while minimizing contamination and improving echogenicity for precise location determination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If metal needles are used for biopsy procedures, then structural strength and sharpness are improved, but contamination risk and induced shape set increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidcontamination risk

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The needle combines a polymer body with embedded metal wires and a metal tip, creating a composite structure that provides the strength and sharpness of metal while minimizing contamination risk through the polymer body that does not induce shape set and reduces metal-on-metal friction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If metal stylet is used in metal needle, then reinforcement is improved, but friction and stylet removal force increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereinforcementVSAvoidstylet removal force

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The polymer body acts as a flexible shell that reduces friction between the stylet and needle lumen, eliminating the metal-on-metal contact that causes high friction and difficult stylet removal while still providing necessary reinforcement through embedded wires

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Object-affected harmful factors

If EUS is used for location determination, then minimally invasive capability is improved, but measurement precision is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveminimally invasive capabilityVSAvoidlocation precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The needle incorporates echogenic features that reflect ultrasound waves, creating visible echoes on EUS imaging that enhance the visibility and precision of needle location determination while maintaining the minimally invasive nature of the procedure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

Echogenic features act as intermediaries between the needle and EUS imaging system, enabling precise location determination through enhanced ultrasound reflection without requiring alternative imaging methods that would compromise minimally invasive capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3052034B1Wire-embedded polymer-body needle

Publication Date: 2018.02.21 COOK MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC

Figure 1~2

AI summary

A medical needle including an elongate tubular body having an outer wall defining at least one longitudinal lumen is provided. The at least one longitudinal lumen may be configured to provide access for at least one of a wire guide, a therapeutic tool, a diagnostic tool, a medicament, and/or contrast fluid. The body may be configured with sufficient length and flexibility to be extended out of and operated through a working channel of a surgical endoscope. The body further includes one or more wires embedded in, and secured substantially immovably relative to, the outer wail. A distal end of the body includes a needle tip configured with at least one sharpened surface configured to penetrate into body tissue.