Suction Tube Detection Head for Tissue Radiation Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical equipment for collecting biological tissues, particularly tumors, often mixes healthy and pathological tissues, complicating analysis and requiring costly waste management due to the presence of radioactive markers, and fails to accurately distinguish cancerous tissues from non-cancerous ones during real-time excision.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system featuring a suction tube with an integrated detection head that uses optical fibers and scintillator crystals to differentiate cancerous tissues by measuring beta and gamma radiation, coupled with a computer terminal for real-time data processing and routing of samples to appropriate receptacles, minimizing the mixing of healthy and pathological tissues and enhancing tumor margin definition during surgery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a detection head with optical fibers and scintillator crystals is integrated into the suction tube, then measurement precision of radiation levels is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple detection components (optical fibers, scintillator crystals, photodetectors) and the suction tube into an integrated detection head assembly. This merging allows simultaneous aspiration of tissue and detection of radiation emissions from radioactive tracers, resolving the contradiction by consolidating functions into a unified device that maintains precision while managing complexity through functional integration
Solution Approach 2:
The suction tube is designed to serve dual functions: mechanical aspiration of tissue samples and as a conduit for radiation detection. The detection head can identify both benign and malignant tissues through radiation measurement, enabling the device to perform multiple tasks (sampling, detection, differentiation) simultaneously, thus improving measurement precision without proportionally increasing complexity
2Productivity
If real-time detection and routing system is implemented, then productivity of tissue analysis is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of radiation levels from tissue samples as they are being aspirated through the suction tube, before the samples reach the collection container. This real-time detection allows immediate identification and routing of radioactive tissues to separate containers, improving productivity by preventing mixing early in the process rather than requiring complex post-collection analysis systems
Solution Approach 2:
The collection system is segmented into multiple containers that can be selectively activated based on detection results. The control system divides the collection function into separate receptacles for different tissue types, allowing parallel collection and analysis streams that improve productivity while keeping each individual collection path relatively simple
3Measurement precision
If radioactive tracers are used for tumor detection, then measurement precision of tumor localization is improved, but object-generated harmful factors increase due to radioactive waste
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and separates radioactive tumor tissues from benign tissues during the aspiration process using real-time radiation detection. By identifying tissues with radioactive tracer accumulation and routing them to separate containers, the system extracts the harmful radioactive material into isolated collections, reducing the volume of waste requiring special disposal while maintaining high tumor localization accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system selectively discards benign tissues that do not contain radioactive tracers into regular waste containers, while recovering and separately storing only the radioactive tumor tissues in designated containers. This selective discarding and recovery approach minimizes the volume of radioactive waste requiring expensive specialized disposal while preserving all tumor samples for analysis
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 system allows for precise real-time identification and separation of cancerous tissues, reducing unnecessary waste and improving surgical accuracy by providing clear differentiation of tumor margins, thus enhancing surgical precision and reducing post-operative complications.
Implementation Method 1
a scintillator crystal which emits light in response to ionizing radiation, preferably gamma radiation
Implementation Method 2
an optical fiber ensuring the collection of at least part of the light emitted by the scintillator material, and its transmission to a photoelectric converter
Implementation Method 3
a photoelectric converter to which the crystal is connected via the optical fiber which ensures the collection and transmission of at least part of the light emitted by the scintillator crystal to the photoelectric converter
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention presents a system for collecting biological tissues in an area of interest receiving a biomarker prior to or simultaneously with the surgical intervention, said system comprising an excision head connected to a receptacle (300) for the tissues collected by a suction transfer tube, characterized in that it comprises: - a detection sleeve surrounding a reference area of said suction transfer tube, said detection sleeve comprising at least one sensor sensitive to said biomarker - an electronic circuit delivering an electrical signal representative of the presence or absence of marker when a tissue sampled passes through said reference area.