Surgical Device Cooling Channel for Hydrogel Spray
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thermosensitive hydrogels used for anti-adhesion in surgeries require constant low temperatures to maintain fluidity, making them inconvenient to use during surgeries due to storage and handling limitations.
Innovation Solution
A surgical device with a cooling mechanism that uses a coolant to maintain a constant low temperature, allowing the thermosensitive hydrogel to be sprayed effectively during surgeries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If thermosensitive hydrogel is stored in a medical refrigerator to maintain low temperature and fluidity, then the hydrogel maintains its liquid properties, but the surgery must be performed immediately without delay which causes inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe is nested within an insulating case that contains a cooling pack. This nested structure allows the hydrogel to be transported and stored at low temperatures without requiring continuous refrigeration, enabling surgeons to carry the device conveniently and perform surgery at the appropriate time without immediate time constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling pack is pre-charged and the syringe is pre-cooled before use. This preliminary cooling action ensures the hydrogel maintains its liquid state during transport and storage, allowing surgeons to perform the procedure at their convenience rather than immediately upon removal from storage
2Duration of action of moving object
If thermosensitive hydrogel is delivered through a physiological temperature environment for extended duration, then the hydrogel transitions to solid gel state, but this prevents effective spraying and application during minimally invasive surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe containing the hydrogel is nested within an insulating case with a cooling pack. This nested configuration maintains a low-temperature environment around the hydrogel during extended delivery periods, preventing unwanted phase transition to solid gel state while allowing sufficient time for minimally invasive surgical procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling pack acts as an intermediary thermal control element between the hydrogel and the external physiological temperature environment. It mediates the thermal interaction by absorbing heat and maintaining the hydrogel in its liquid state throughout the extended delivery duration required for minimally invasive surgery
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
The device ensures the thermosensitive hydrogel remains in a fluid state, facilitating its spraying and application during surgeries, thereby improving operational convenience and efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
the coolant in the container is allowed to flow into the cooling channel to cool the flowable material flowing into the first inner tube
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical device configured to spray a flowable material cooled by a coolant and including a syringe, a first inner tube, an outer tube and a container. The syringe has an outlet and is configured to accommodate the flowable material. The first inner tube is disposed on an end of the syringe and in fluid communication with the outlet. The outer tube is disposed on the syringe and surrounds the first inner tube. A cooling channel is formed between the first inner tube and the outer tube. The container is in fluid communication with the cooling channel and configured to accommodate the coolant.