Ultrashort-Pulsed Electrical Field Probe for Tissue Dissociation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vitreoretinal surgery methods rely on mechanical traction, which can damage the retinal membrane during tissue removal due to the inherent shearing action, making traction-free removal of intraocular tissues challenging and potentially harmful.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a high-intensity, short directionally changing electrical field to dissociate and remove vitreous and intraocular tissues without mechanical traction, employing a probe with multiple electrodes that create a non-plasma, ultrashort-pulsed electrical field to disrupt tissue bonds while using fluidic techniques for aspiration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mechanical or traction surgical methods are used to remove intraocular tissue, then tissue removal is achieved, but the retinal membrane may be damaged due to superimposed forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical cutting and traction instruments with a non-mechanical energy field approach. A high-intensity pulsed electrical field is applied to the intraocular tissue to induce rapid heating and vaporization, eliminating the need for mechanical contact and associated traction forces that could damage the retinal membrane.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the tissue by applying extreme thermal energy through electrical fields. The pulsed electrical field causes rapid temperature increase within the target tissue, transforming it from solid to vaporized state, thereby enabling removal without mechanical stress on surrounding structures.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If high-intensity pulsed electrical fields are applied to dissociate tissue bonds, then traction-free removal is achieved, but thermal effects may damage surrounding tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pulsed electrical fields with specific duty cycles and repetition rates. The periodic application of high-intensity fields allows brief intervals for heat dissipation, preventing cumulative thermal damage to surrounding tissue while maintaining effective tissue dissociation during the pulse duration.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical field is focused locally on the target intraocular tissue using electrode geometry and positioning. This creates a localized zone of high intensity field effect confined to the treatment area, minimizing thermal spread to adjacent healthy tissue through precise spatial control of the energy deposition.
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
Enables traction-free removal of intraocular tissues with minimal risk of retinal damage, as the method causes a transient, non-thermal dissociation of tissue components without far-field effects, maintaining the integrity of the retinal membrane.
Implementation Method 1
the application of a high-intensity, ultrashort-pulsed electrical field... causes a transient, non-thermal dissociation of tissue bonds and disruption of proteinaceous tissue structure
Implementation Method 2
dissociation and removal of highly hydrated macroscopic volumes of proteinaceous tissue using rapid variable direction energy field flow fractionation
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for the dissociation of soft proteinaceous tissue using pulsed rapid variable direction energy field flow fractionization is disclosed. The pulsed rapid disruptive energy field is created by the use of a probe which surrounds the soft proteinaceous tissue to be removed. Once the adhesive mechanism between tissue constituents has been compromised, fluidic techniques are used to remove the dissociated tissue.