Stone Basket Imaging for Safe Ureter Stone Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing stone removal methods, such as basket catheters, struggle with removing gallstones and kidney stones larger than 10 mm, and can cause damage due to uneven shapes or sizes, especially when the stones have complex protrusions, leading to potential harm to the ureter.

Innovation Solution

A stone removing apparatus with an imaging unit that takes images of the stone while it is grasped by a basket, allowing for precise measurement of size and shape, using a control unit to calculate the actual size based on the distance between the imaging unit and the basket, and a display unit to show the results, ensuring safe removal without damaging the ureter.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a basket catheter is used to remove stones, then stones smaller than 10 mm can be removed, but stones larger than 10 mm cannot be removed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestone removal capabilityVSAvoidstone size measurement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The imaging unit captures images of the stone before removal to measure its size and shape in advance. This preliminary measurement allows the medical team to determine whether the stone can be removed directly or requires lithotripsy, preventing failed removal attempts and improving overall productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual size estimation with an automated imaging and measurement system. The imaging unit captures images and the control unit calculates actual dimensions, providing precise measurements that enable accurate decision-making about removal methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If a basket catheter is used to grasp stones with complex shapes, then stones can be removed, but the protrusions may scratch and cut the ureter causing serious damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestone grasping capabilityVSAvoidureter damage risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The imaging unit captures images of the stone's shape and protrusions before removal. The control unit analyzes these images to identify potential harmful features, allowing the medical team to take preventive measures such as using lithotripsy for stones with dangerous protrusions, thereby preventing ureter damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The imaging and measurement system provides feedback about the stone's characteristics (size, shape, protrusions) before removal. This feedback loop enables the medical team to adjust their approach based on the stone's actual features, selecting the safest removal method and avoiding ureter damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of time

If the maximum size of stone protrusions is not measured exactly, then the stone can be removed quickly, but the protrusions scratch the inside of the ureter causing a lot of pain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemeasurement timeVSAvoidureter irritation and pain

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces time-consuming manual measurement with an automated imaging and calculation system. The imaging unit captures the stone's image and the control unit automatically calculates the maximum protrusion dimensions, providing exact measurements quickly and accurately to prevent ureter damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The imaging unit creates a visual copy of the stone's shape and protrusions. This optical copy allows the control unit to analyze and measure the stone's features without physical contact, providing exact measurements rapidly to prevent harmful effects during removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Productivity

If lithotripsy is performed on stones larger than 10 mm, then stones can be removed, but the process is more complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestone removal capabilityVSAvoidremoval process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The imaging unit measures the stone's size before removal to determine whether lithotripsy is necessary. This preliminary measurement allows the medical team to proceed directly to simple basket removal for small stones, avoiding unnecessary lithotripsy complexity, while ensuring lithotripsy is performed only when required for larger stones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20260026829A1Stone removing apparatus and stone size measuring method

Publication Date: 2026.01.29 ROEN SURGICAL INC

AI summary

Disclosed herein is a stone removing apparatus and a stone size measuring method, which can take a picture of a stone and measure the size of the stone in order to stably remove the stone without damaging a human body. The stone removing apparatus includes: an insertion tube having an inner space; a guide tube inserted into the inner space of the insertion tube to be moved; a wire inserted into the guide tube to be movable; a basket disposed at the front of the wire to grasp a stone; an imaging unit disposed at the front end of the guide tube in order to take an image of a stone grasped by the basket; and a control unit electrically connected with the imaging part to analyze the image taken by the imaging unit, wherein the control unit calculates a distance between the imaging unit and the basket to measure the actual size of the stone using the calculated distance.