Regional Anesthesia Catheter Assembly for Precise Tip Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing catheter arrangements for regional anesthesia are not easy to operate, making it difficult to precisely position the catheter tip close to the target site, such as nerves or nerve plexuses, for effective anesthesia.
Innovation Solution
A catheter arrangement with a capillary housing and a catheter tube that allows for stepwise or stepless displacement and fixation using a manually operable adjustment device, featuring a radial projection or actuator for precise positioning, and a clamping device for secure fixation, enabling one-handed operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a catheter tube is inserted into a capillary tube with a fixing device, then the catheter tube can be fixed relative to the capillary housing, but it is difficult to precisely position the catheter tip close to the target site for effective anesthesia
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tube is made dynamically adjustable within the capillary tube through a displacement device with an actuator that can be operated manually. This allows the catheter tube to be positioned at different locations along the capillary tube axis, enabling precise positioning of the catheter tip near the target site while maintaining ease of operation through simple manual actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
An actuator serves as an intermediary component between the user's manual input and the catheter tube positioning system. The actuator translates simple manual operations into precise displacement of the catheter tube within the capillary tube, achieving both ease of operation and positioning precision simultaneously.
2Ease of operation
If the catheter tube is fixed relative to the capillary housing, then stable positioning is achieved, but the user cannot freely use both hands for additional tasks like holding an ultrasound device
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment function is extracted as a separate, independently operable mechanism with an actuator that can be controlled by one hand. This allows the other hand to be freed for additional tasks such as holding an ultrasound device, while the catheter tube remains reliably fixed once positioned through the extraction-based adjustment mechanism.
3Measurement precision
If the catheter tube is made adjustable within the capillary tube, then precise positioning is possible, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tube is nested within the capillary tube, and the actuator is integrated into this nested structure. The actuator operates within the confined space of the capillary housing to displacement the catheter tube, achieving precise positioning without adding significant external complexity to the overall device structure.
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
Figure 3a~4
Figure 5~8
AI summary
Such a catheter arrangement (1) is known, comprising a capillary housing (2) on which a capillary tube (3) is provided distally, and comprising a catheter tube (4) which is inserted proximally into the capillary tube (3) and protrudes distally from the capillary tube (3), wherein the catheter tube (4) is arranged in the capillary tube (3) so as to be displaceable with limited linear movement, and comprising a manually operable clamping device for releasably fixing the catheter tube (4) relative to the capillary tube (3) and the capillary housing (2). According to the invention, an adjustment device is additionally provided on the capillary housing (2), which ensures a stepwise or stepless displacement of the catheter tube (4) in the capillary tube (3). At least one manually grippable radial projection is provided on the catheter tube (4), which is adjustably guided along the capillary housing (2).