Retractable Tip Vitrectomy Tool Dynamics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vitreoretinal surgical tools require complex equipment and sterile operating room environments for performing vitrectomy procedures, which limits their accessibility and increases the risk of cross-contamination.
Innovation Solution
A manually operable, disposable vitrectomy tool with a retractable sharpened tip that allows for safe insertion into the eye and safe operation, featuring a vitreous cutter tube with a blunt tip and a retractable outer trocar tube with a sharpened edge, enabling efficient removal of vitreous material and injection of drugs in a non-sterile environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a sharp tip is used for insertion into the eye, then insertion is facilitated, but safe operation during the procedure is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The outer trocar tube is designed to be dynamically repositionable relative to the inner vitreous cutter tube. During insertion, the outer tube extends forward with its sharp tip to penetrate the eye. During operation, the outer tube is retracted behind the blunt tip of the inner tube, transforming the device from a sharp insertion tool to a safe operating tool. This dynamic repositioning resolves the contradiction between needing sharpness for insertion and safety for operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer trocar tube serves as an intermediary protective element. It provides the sharp cutting edge needed for insertion while simultaneously acting as a protective sheath when retracted, shielding the operator from the sharp tip during safe operation. This intermediary structure allows the device to fulfill both contradictory requirements at different operational stages.
2Reliability
If complex equipment with electrical connections is used, then vitrectomy capability is achieved, but device complexity and cross-contamination risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The entire vitrectomy device is designed as a disposable single-use instrument. The handpiece, probe, and all components are configured to be discarded after one use, eliminating the need for complex sterilization protocols and reducing cross-contamination risks. This disposable approach maintains full vitrectomy capability while dramatically simplifying the overall system requirements and eliminating electrical connections that would need sterilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is segmented into distinct functional components (handpiece with actuation mechanisms, probe with cutter, outer trocar, inner vitreous cutter tube) that can be manufactured separately and assembled. This segmentation allows for simpler individual components without electrical motors, using mechanical actuation instead, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining vitrectomy functionality.
3Productivity
If a sharp tip is exposed during operation, then insertion effectiveness is maintained, but risk of accidental injury increases
Solution Approach 1:
The exposure status of the sharp tip is dynamically controlled through the repositionable outer trocar tube. The sharp tip is exposed only during the brief insertion phase when penetration is required. During the extended operation phase, the outer tube is retracted behind the blunt tip, dynamically switching the device from an aggressive insertion mode to a safe operation mode, thereby maintaining insertion effectiveness while minimizing accidental injury risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The sharp tip performs its insertion function as a preliminary action before the main operation begins. Once insertion is accomplished, the outer trocar is retracted to conceal the sharp tip, separating the insertion function from the operation function in time. This preliminary action approach ensures insertion effectiveness is achieved when needed while eliminating the hazard during the subsequent operation phase.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A probe for a vitrectomy tool is provided having a vitreous cutter tube having a blunt tip at a distal end and adapted to be coupled at a proximal end to a handpiece of a vitrectomy tool; a retractable outer trocar tube surrounding the vitreous cutter tube having an open distal end with a sharpened edge; and a retraction mechanism coupled to a proximal end of the outer trocar for selectively extending and retracting the outer trocar tube between a first extended position wherein the sharpened edge of the outer trocar is extended beyond the blunt tip of the vitreous cutter tube to facilitate insertion into the eye and a second retracted position wherein the sharpened edge of the outer trocar is retracted behind the blunt tip of the vitreous cutter tube to facilitate safe operation of the probe. A vitrectomy tool for removing material from an eye of a patient is provided having a housing having a proximal end and a distal end and a probe coupled to the proximal end of the housing.