Retractable Backflush Instrument for Valved Cannula Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inserting a backflush instrument with a soft tip into a valved cannula can be challenging and may cause damage, such as bending or shearing off, due to the soft tip's interaction with the cannula valve.
Innovation Solution
A retractable backflush instrument design featuring a slidable valve mechanism that allows the soft tip to be retracted prior to insertion, preventing bending or shearing by enabling manual or automated control of the tip's extension and retraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a soft tip is used on the backflush instrument to prevent tissue damage, then patient safety is improved, but the tip may bend or shear off during insertion through the valved cannula
Solution Approach 1:
The backflush instrument incorporates a retraction mechanism that allows the soft tip to dynamically change its extension state. During insertion through the valved cannula, the tip is retracted to avoid bending. Once positioned, the tip is extended to provide tissue protection during backflushing operations, thus resolving the contradiction between tip durability and patient safety.
2Reliability
If the soft tip extends beyond the outer tube to ensure tissue protection, then patient safety is improved, but insertion through the valved cannula becomes difficult and may cause tip damage
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is designed with a retraction mechanism that allows the soft tip to be preliminarily retracted before insertion through the valved cannula. This preliminary action prevents tip damage during insertion. After successful insertion, the tip is extended to provide the necessary tissue protection, thus resolving the contradiction between insertion ease and tissue protection.
3Strength
If a rigid structure is used for the backflush instrument to ensure structural integrity, then device strength is improved, but tissue damage risk increases upon contact
Solution Approach 1:
The backflush instrument employs local quality by using a soft tip at the distal end that contacts the tissue, while the proximal portions maintain rigid structural integrity for structural support. This differentiation resolves the contradiction between structural integrity and tissue damage risk by applying appropriate material properties to different locations of the instrument.
4Reliability
If the soft tip is made more flexible to prevent tissue damage, then patient safety is improved, but the tip becomes more susceptible to bending and shearing during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument incorporates a retraction mechanism that dynamically controls the tip's structural stability. During insertion, the tip is retracted to maintain its structural stability and avoid bending. During backflushing operations, the tip is extended where its flexibility provides tissue protection. This dynamic control resolves the contradiction between patient safety and tip structural stability.
Data Source
AI summary
Certain embodiments provide an apparatus comprising a hand-piece, an outer tube coupled to the hand-piece, an inner tube housed within the outer tube and having a distal end coupled to a soft tip and a proximal end coupled to an adapter, a proximal end of the adapter coupled to a distal end of a valve, the valve slidably coupled to the hand-piece, and a core slidably coupled to the hand-piece and having a distal end coupled to a proximal end of the valve. To retract the soft tip, the valve is retracted, causing the adapter, the valve, and the core to slidably retract in a proximal direction in relation to the hand-piece, and to extend the soft tip, the valve is protracted, causing the adapter, the valve, and the core to slidably protract in a distal direction in relation to the hand-piece.