Self-Expanding Endoscopic Grasping Arms for Atraumatic Tissue Manipulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical procedures for obesity, such as bariatric surgery, are invasive and carry risks of complications, tissue trauma, and infections, while also having significant side effects like enteric hormonal changes.
Innovation Solution
The development of an endoscopic procedure using a grasping system with self-expanding arms and atraumatic projections to perform gastrojejunostomy, allowing for minimally invasive access and manipulation of gastrointestinal tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional surgical procedures are used for gastrojejunostomy, then reliable tissue grasping and manipulation can be achieved, but the procedure becomes highly invasive with significant tissue trauma, complications, and infection risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical surgical instruments with an endoscopic system that uses a catheter-delivered end effector. The end effector employs a self-expanding frame with arms that can be actuated to grasp tissue, substituting the need for open surgical manipulation. This endoscopic approach maintains grasping reliability while significantly reducing tissue trauma and infection risk by avoiding large incisions and direct surgical handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The end effector is designed with a nested structure where the arms and self-expanding frame are contained within a catheter during delivery. Once positioned at the target site, the end effector is deployed from the catheter, allowing the arms to expand and grasp tissue. This nested design enables the complex grasping mechanism to be delivered through a minimally invasive catheter while maintaining full functionality at the deployment site.
2Ease of operation
If self-expanding arms with spring force are used in the end effector, then the arms automatically assume an open position for tissue access, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The end effector incorporates self-expanding arms with spring force that automatically assume an open position when deployed. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex actuation systems to maintain the open configuration, as the springs inherently provide the necessary force. The arms only require actuation when closing to grasp tissue, simplifying the overall control mechanism while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the elastic properties and spring force of the arm materials to enable automatic positioning. By selecting materials with appropriate elastic moduli and designing the arm geometry to incorporate spring elements, the system achieves automatic opening without requiring additional actuators or complex mechanical systems. This parameter-based approach converts a potential complexity into a material property solution.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If atraumatic projections are added to the arm surfaces for tissue grasping, then tissue damage is reduced, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The atraumatic projections are applied locally to specific regions of the arm surfaces where tissue contact occurs. Rather than modifying the entire arm structure, the projections are concentrated at the distal tips or specific grasping zones. This localized approach minimizes tissue damage at critical contact points while keeping the overall manufacturing process relatively simple, as only specific regions require the additional geometric features.
Solution Approach 2:
The atraumatic projections are pre-formed as integral features of the arm structure during the manufacturing process. By incorporating the projections into the initial fabrication of the arms rather than adding them as separate components, the manufacturing complexity is minimized. The projections are designed to be formed simultaneously with the arm geometry, eliminating the need for additional assembly steps or separate attachment 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
This endoscopic procedure enables atraumatic grasping and manipulation of gastrointestinal tissues, reducing the invasiveness and associated risks of traditional surgical methods, while promoting weight loss and potentially improving type-2 diabetes control.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second arms may be formed of a self-expanding material and may have a spring force to set the arms in an unconstrained open position
Data Source
AI summary
According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, devices, systems, and methods for endoscopic procedures may include an end effector of a grasping system having a first arm and a second arm. The first and second arms may extend from a common proximal joint. The first and second arms may be formed of a self-expanding material and may have a spring force to set the arms in an unconstrained open position. The first and second arms may have an arc shape such that a distal tip of each first and second arm are configured to close as the first and second arms are actuated to a constrained closed position. A catheter may include a locating element at a distal end of a flexible tube. The locating element may be configured for locating the grasping system.