Rounded Invasive EHL Probe Ports Friction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) probes face difficulties in navigating tortuous paths due to insufficient stiffness and sharp edges, leading to frictional forces that cause creases and tissue damage, and require separate irrigation channels, which complicates access to remote locations within the body.
Innovation Solution
The development of invasive EHL probes with rounded features and ports that reduce frictional forces and eliminate the need for separate irrigation channels, allowing for safer navigation through veins, arteries, and lumens, and enabling direct positioning against concretions with focused shockwaves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional EHL probes with sharp edges are used, then they can be manufactured with simple geometry, but they cause frictional forces that create creases and tissue damage when navigating tortuous paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality by rounding the leading edge of the EHL probe from a sharp corner to a curved surface with a specified radius of curvature. This curved geometry reduces frictional forces and prevents tissue damage while maintaining manufacturability through standard machining or molding processes that can produce rounded edges.
2Reliability
If separate irrigation channels are included in conventional EHL probes, then cooling and flushing functions are provided, but device complexity increases and access to remote locations becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the irrigation channel with the main probe body by forming the irrigation channel as an integral part of the probe structure, eliminating the need for separate irrigation catheters or channels. This integration reduces device complexity while maintaining cooling and flushing functions through a unified design.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional EHL probes with square or beveled edges are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but the probes become lodged or wedged in scope or catheter lumens when navigating tortuous paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality by replacing square or beveled edges with a rounded leading edge having a specified radius of curvature. This curved geometry allows the probe to navigate tortuous paths more easily by reducing friction and preventing the probe from becoming lodged or wedged in lumens, while remaining manufacturable through standard processes.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If rounded features are added to EHL probes to reduce friction, then tissue trauma is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies a radius of curvature parameter for the rounded leading edge that balances tissue protection with manufacturability. By optimizing this parameter within a specific range, the design achieves sufficient rounding to reduce friction and tissue trauma while remaining compatible with standard manufacturing tolerances and processes.
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 rounded EHL probes effectively reduce tissue trauma and improve access to remote locations by minimizing friction and allowing direct contact with concretions, resulting in stronger shockwave delivery with reduced lateral pressure on surrounding tissue.
Implementation Method 1
The rounded features reduce frictional forces with the interior walls, thereby reducing the formation of frictional forces in the creases and wrinkles in the inner walls of the veins, arteries, and/or scope or catheter lumens
Implementation Method 2
Electrohydraulic lithotripsy has been used in the medical field, primarily for breaking concretions in the urinary or biliary tract
Data Source
AI summary
A lithotripter tip configured for use within an invasive lithotripter probe may include a lithotripter tip body dimensioned and configured to be threaded through a human vein or artery of a patient and delivered to a position directly adjacent to a concretion within the patient. The lithotripter tip body may define an interior region in communication with an aperture at a distal end of the lithotripter tip body and the lithotripter tip body may define at least one port in communication with the interior region that is configured to receive a liquid and provide a path for the liquid to flow into the interior region of the body. A first electrode and a second electrode are positioned within the interior region of the lithotripter tip such that such that when liquid from the at least one port is within the interior region and an electric arc occurs between the ends of the first and second electrodes, a gaseous bubble forms within the interior region and a resulting shockwave travels out of the aperture at the distal end of the lithotripter tip body and impacts the concretion positioned directly adjacent to the lithotripter tip body.