Sternal Bone Marrow Access Device with Depth Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intravenous (IV) access methods are inefficient and often fail in emergency situations due to difficulty in establishing vascular access, especially in patients with depleted veins, obesity, or anatomical constraints, leading to delayed or impossible administration of life-saving drugs.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method for accessing the bone marrow of the sternum using a tissue penetrator with a power mechanism and depth control system, allowing for controlled penetration and reducing the risk of bone damage and dislodgement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manually inserted IO needles are used, then IV access can be established, but the procedure is very difficult to use in hard adult bones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical insertion with a power-driven system that uses motorized or spring-driven mechanisms to automatically advance the tissue penetrator through bone, eliminating the difficulty of manual insertion while maintaining reliable access establishment
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs self-insertion through automated mechanisms that drive the penetrator into the bone without requiring manual manipulation, allowing the system to accomplish the insertion task autonomously once activated
2Reliability
If current IO infusion devices are used, then access can be achieved, but the devices are single-use only and bulky, limiting the number of devices a medic can take into the field
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into modular components including a reusable power-driven handle and disposable needle cartridges, allowing the heavy power mechanism to be shared across multiple uses while only lightweight disposable parts need to be carried in quantity
Solution Approach 2:
The power-driven handle serves as a universal platform that can accommodate multiple different needle cartridges for various bone sites and patient types, eliminating the need to carry multiple complete device variants
3Productivity
If current IO devices are used, then infusion can be established, but they frequently penetrate not only the anterior bone cortex but may also penetrate the posterior cortex
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates sensors that detect bone density changes and penetration depth, providing real-time feedback to the control system to automatically stop penetration when the appropriate depth is reached, preventing over-penetration while maintaining rapid access
Solution Approach 2:
The device pre-sets the penetration depth based on patient anatomy and target bone characteristics before insertion, and uses depth control mechanisms to automatically terminate penetration at the predetermined safe depth
4Reliability
If manually inserted IO needles are used, then access can be achieved, but they suffer from a high rate of dislodgement from the bone because of the non-axial manner in which they must be inserted
Solution Approach 1:
The power-driven system inserts the penetrator in a precisely controlled axial direction using motorized or spring-driven linear motion, eliminating the non-axial insertion that causes dislodgement while maintaining reliable access establishment
Solution Approach 2:
The device pre-aligns the penetrator with the bone surface normal before insertion and maintains axial alignment throughout the power-driven insertion process, ensuring proper positioning that prevents dislodgement
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for accessing the bone marrow of a human's sternum is provided. The apparatus includes a tissue penetrator configured to penetrate the sternum, a trigger mechanism configured to engage when the tissue penetrator contacts the sternum and a depth control mechanism operable to limit the penetration of the tissue penetrator into the sternum to a pre-selected depth.