Segmented Microblade Structure for RF Tissue Treatment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microneedling systems using round needles are difficult to manufacture, cause significant pain, and become unusable due to dulling, making them inefficient for treating tissue with high-frequency energy.
Innovation Solution
The use of microblades with tapered surfaces arranged in a rhombus-shaped pattern, made from an electrical conductor, which are inserted into tissue and energized with alternating polarities of radio-frequency energy to treat tissue effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If round needles with conical shape are used for microneedling, then the needles can penetrate tissue and transfer high-frequency energy, but they cause significant pain and become unusable due to dulling
Solution Approach 1:
The needle structure is segmented into a shaft portion and a separate blade portion. The blade portion is detachably attached to the shaft, allowing the sharp blade to be replaced when dulling occurs while retaining the shaft. This segmentation enables the cutting edge to be renewed without discarding the entire needle assembly, thereby improving reliability and reducing patient pain from repeated needle insertions.
Solution Approach 2:
The sharp cutting function is extracted from the needle shaft and embodied in a separate blade portion. This blade can be independently replaced when it becomes dull, separating the penetrating function (shaft) from the cutting function (blade). This extraction allows the system to maintain sharpness for painless insertion while keeping the shaft reusable.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional round needles are used, then high-frequency energy can be transmitted to tissue, but the devices are difficult to manufacture and become unusable after repeated insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is divided into a shaft portion and a blade portion that can be manufactured separately and assembled. The shaft can be mass-produced using standard needle manufacturing techniques, while the blade portion can be manufactured with precise cutting edges. This segmentation simplifies manufacturing by allowing each component to be optimized independently and assembled through simple attachment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade portion is designed as a disposable or replaceable component that can be inexpensive to manufacture. When the blade becomes dull after repeated use, it can be discarded and replaced with a new blade while retaining the shaft. This approach makes the overall system more economical and reliable compared to disposable entire-needle designs.
3Reliability
If microblades with tapered surfaces are used, then sharpness and longevity are improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The complex tapered blade structure is segmented from the shaft, allowing the complexity to be confined to a small replaceable component rather than the entire needle. The shaft remains simple and cylindrical, while only the small blade portion requires the complex tapered geometry. This segmentation reduces overall device complexity while maintaining the performance benefits of the tapered design.
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 microblade design improves sharpness and longevity, reducing pain and increasing efficiency in tissue treatment by providing uniform heating patterns and effective tissue contraction for wrinkle reduction and acne scarring.
Implementation Method 1
The high-frequency energy heats the tissue to a therapeutic temperature sufficient to create micro-injuries in the tissue
Implementation Method 2
High-frequency treatment devices operate by transmitting high-frequency energy to the underlying tissue
Data Source
AI summary
Structures for treating tissue with high-frequency energy, methods of making a structure for treating tissue with high-frequency energy, and methods of treating tissue with high-frequency energy. A structure for use in treating tissue may include multiple microblades composed of an electrical conductor. Each of the microblades may include a shaft and a tip arranged adjacent to an end of the shaft. The tip includes multiple surfaces that surround a solid core of the tip and at least two of the surfaces may taper toward the end of the shaft.