Self-Retracting Surgical System with Radially Expandable Canopy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally-invasive surgical technologies face challenges in accessing and operating within soft tissue, air, or fluid mediums due to limitations in visualization and instrument maneuverability, particularly in forming effective working canopies and minimizing tissue disruption.
Innovation Solution
A multi-functional surgical system comprising an outer sheath with an inner module and radially expandable struts that form a canopy working area, equipped with labrums for tissue penetration and retractability, and end effectors for various surgical functions, allowing for minimally-invasive access and manipulation within soft tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional minimally-invasive surgical approaches are used, then access to surgical targets is achieved, but tissue disruption and difficulty in forming effective working canopies occur
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical system divides the access and manipulation functions into separate modular components: an outer sheath for minimal access, expandable struts for canopy formation, and retractors for tissue management. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while minimizing overall tissue disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamically adjustable components including expandable struts that can transition from a compressed delivery state to an expanded canopy state, and retractors that can dynamically adjust tissue retraction forces. This dynamic adaptability enables effective working canopy formation without requiring excessive force or disruption during insertion.
2Ease of operation
If larger instruments are used to improve maneuverability and visualization, then surgical manipulation capability is enhanced, but the invasiveness of the procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a nested structure where the inner module with struts and retractors is contained within the outer sheath during delivery. This allows the entire functional assembly to pass through a small access point, maintaining minimal invasiveness while providing access to larger, more capable instruments once deployed at the target site.
Solution Approach 2:
The struts expand from a one-dimensional linear configuration during delivery to a three-dimensional radial canopy structure at the target site. This dimensional transformation enables the system to pass through a small puncture wound while creating a large working space with enhanced manipulation capability at the distal end.
3Reliability
If multiple functions are integrated into separate devices, then each device can be optimized for its specific function, but device complexity and number of procedures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple previously separate functions into a single integrated device: the outer sheath for access, the expandable struts for canopy formation, and the retractors for tissue management are all combined into one deployable system. This merging reduces the number of separate insertion procedures while maintaining the reliability of each individual function through optimized design of each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable strut assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the working canopy, facilitates tissue retraction, and enables instrument deployment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple separate devices while maintaining the reliability of each specific function through dedicated design features within each component.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a minimally-invasive surgical system and methods of use which can mimic a mosquito proboscis to efficiently penetrate tissue. The delivery system can utilize a plurality of modular strut instruments to create a working tissue canopy and apply any number of surgical actions to a target tissue.