Retractable Tissue Cutting Device with Dynamic Sliding Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoscopic cutting tools, such as conventional cautery knives, require precise control and are prone to imprecise movements leading to unintended cuts during aggressive interventional procedures like lesion removal and tissue treatment within the gastrointestinal tract.
Innovation Solution
A tissue cutting device with a flexible elongate body and a distal member featuring a retractable cutting element that moves between open and closed configurations, with a recess and lumen structure to prevent excessive extension and include an energy source for precise tissue cutting, reducing the risk of unintended cuts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a conventional cautery knife is used for tissue cutting, then the procedure can be performed, but imprecise movements may result in unintended cuts
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting element is made dynamically retractable within the distal member, allowing it to extend only when needed for cutting and retract automatically afterward. This dynamic configuration ensures the cutting element is exposed only during the actual cutting action, eliminating the risk of unintended cuts during insertion, positioning, or retrieval phases of the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The distal member acts as an intermediary protective structure that houses and controls the cutting element. The recess and receiving structure provide a controlled environment where the cutting element can be precisely positioned and retracted, mediating between the operator's control and the actual cutting action to prevent unintended tissue damage.
2Reliability
If the cutting element is made retractable to prevent unintended cuts, then safety is improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting element is nested within the distal member, specifically within a recess that provides a receiving structure. This nesting arrangement allows the cutting element to be housed safely within the protective structure of the distal member while still being accessible for cutting operations, achieving safety without requiring entirely separate safety mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective structure and the cutting mechanism are merged into a single integrated distal member. The recess and receiving structure are built into the distal member itself, combining the functions of protection, guidance, and cutting control in one component, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining safety.
3Measurement precision
If the cutting element is constrained within a recess and receiving structure, then cutting precision is improved, but the cutting element's mobility is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting element is designed to be dynamically movable within the constraints of the recess and receiving structure. It can slide or retract along a defined path within the recess, allowing sufficient mobility to reach and cut target tissue while the receiving structure ensures it remains precisely positioned and oriented during the cutting action.
Solution Approach 2:
The distal member is segmented into functional zones: the recess provides a guided pathway for the cutting element, while the receiving structure provides a controlled endpoint. This segmentation allows the cutting element to have freedom of movement within the recess for positioning, but constrained movement at the receiving structure for precise cutting, optimizing both mobility and precision.
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
The device allows for precise and controlled tissue cutting, minimizing the risk of unintended cuts and enabling efficient execution of complex endoscopic procedures by maintaining the cutting element's orientation and preventing excessive extension, thus enhancing procedural efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a cutting element slidably received within the channel and the lumen so that the cutting element is movable between an open tissue-receiving configuration and a closed tissue-gripping configuration
Implementation Method 2
an energy source connected to the proximal end of the cutting element to provide an electrical current therethrough so that the distal end of the cutting element cuts a target tissue
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A tissue cutting device includes a flexible elongate body including a channel extending therethrough, a distal member connected to a distal end of the elongate body. The distal member includes a lumen extending therethrough in communication with the channel and a recess extending through an exterior surface of the distal member along a portion of a length thereof. The recess extends includes a receiving structure at a distal end thereof. A cutting element is slidably received within the channel and the lumen so that the cutting element is movable between an open tissue-receiving configuration and a closed tissue-gripping configuration, in which a distal portion of the cutting element extends across the recess such that the distal end of the cutting element is received within the receiving structure, a portion of a length of the distal portion extending radially beyond an exterior surface of the distal member.