Surgical Specimen Marking with Color-Coded Clips
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical specimen margin orientation marking techniques are prone to errors due to miscommunication and manipulation issues between surgeons and pathologists, particularly when the specimen orientation is altered during handling.
Innovation Solution
A surgical specimen margin orientation marking mechanism using color-coded titanium ligature clips with silk sutures is introduced, where clips are placed on the specimen and surrounding tissue to create a mirror image, ensuring accurate identification of anterior, inferior, superior, posterior, and deep margins, facilitating precise communication and handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If ink marking is placed on the specimen after removal, then the specimen can be marked for orientation, but the marking is inaccurate and subject to error if the orientation of the specimen is changed during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The orientation marking is performed on the patient's body before the specimen is removed, rather than after removal. This preliminary marking ensures that the reference point (12:00 position) is established before any manipulation or orientation changes occur during specimen handling, transport, and processing.
Solution Approach 2:
A visible marker or indicium is placed on the patient's body at the 12:00 position as an intermediary reference point. This marker serves as a permanent reference that remains valid throughout the entire process from excision through pathological examination, eliminating the need to transfer orientation information between surgeon and pathologist.
2Measurement precision
If a reference suture is placed in the specimen at the 12:00 O'clock position, then orientation can be indicated, but this approach is equally subject to error from manipulation and miscommunication
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on a suture within the specimen that can be lost or misinterpreted, a visible marker is placed on the patient's body as an intermediary reference. This external marker cannot be lost during specimen processing and provides a permanent reference for orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback through the visible marker that confirms the correct orientation reference point. The marker serves as a continuous reference that both surgeon and pathologist can visually verify, eliminating miscommunication about orientation.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional ink marking is used on the specimen mass, then the mass can be differentiated from surrounding tissues, but it is difficult to find the ink marks and compare to those on the removed mass
Solution Approach 1:
The visible marker on the patient's body serves as an intermediary reference that is easier to detect than ink marks on the specimen. The marker provides a clear visual reference point that can be easily located and compared, eliminating the difficulty of finding and interpreting ink marks on the removed mass.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes an endoscopic clip placement tool and one or more marking clips attached to a specimen mass by the clip placement tool to mark a margin and orientation of the specimen mass.