Ribbed Dilator Tip Reducing Tissue Friction

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional medical dilator tips often experience high friction and force peaks when passing through tissue walls, leading to increased operator effort and potential tissue damage.

Innovation Solution

A dilator tip design featuring an elongated tubular member with circumferentially spaced ribs, where the ribs have varying heights and stiffness along their length, and a sheath with pleats that conform to the ribs, reducing surface area and friction, and allowing for a more gradual force application.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional smooth dilator tips are used, then the structure is simple, but friction and force peaks are high when passing through tissue walls

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefriction and force peaks on tissueVSAvoidstructure of dilator tip

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The dilator tip is segmented into multiple longitudinal ribs that are circumferentially spaced apart, creating a ribbed surface structure. This segmentation divides the continuous surface into discrete elements, reducing the contact area with tissue and thereby reducing friction and force peaks during insertion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The ribs have varying heights along their length, with the distal portion having a different height than the proximal portion. This local variation in geometry allows the dilator to apply force more gradually across different depths of tissue penetration, reducing peak forces while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If a solid continuous dilator tip is used, then manufacturing is simple, but operator effort and potential tissue damage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperator effort requiredVSAvoidmanufacturing process of dilator tip

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The dilator tip is segmented into multiple longitudinal ribs that are circumferentially spaced apart, creating a ribbed surface structure. This segmentation divides the continuous surface into discrete elements, reducing the contact area with tissue and thereby reducing friction and force peaks during insertion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The ribs have varying heights along their length, with the distal portion having a different height than the proximal portion. This local variation in geometry allows the dilator to apply force more gradually across different depths of tissue penetration, reducing peak forces while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If ribs of uniform height are used, then manufacturing is easier, but force application is less gradual and tissue damage may increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue damageVSAvoidmanufacturing precision of ribs

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The ribs have varying heights along their length, with the distal portion having a different height than the proximal portion. This local variation in geometry allows the dilator to apply force more gradually across different depths of tissue penetration, reducing peak forces while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11318290B2Ribbed dilator tip

Publication Date: 2022.05.03 BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED INC

AI summary

A dilator tip may include an elongated tubular member defined by a circumferential wall and having a distal tip region and a proximal end, and a plurality of ribs extending longitudinally between the distal tip region and the proximal end. The plurality of ribs may extend radially outward from the elongated tubular member, and the plurality of ribs may be spaced apart circumferentially.