Surgical Needle with Dynamic Stylet for Hip Arthroscopy
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hip arthroscopy, creating access portals is challenging due to the lack of direct visualization, leading to potential damage from blind needle placement, especially when encountering the dense and delicate hip capsule and femoral head structures.
Innovation Solution
A surgical needle with a blunt stylet and feedback member that provides tactile feedback, allowing controlled penetration and minimizing damage by extending the stylet to avoid delicate structures and providing rotational orientation cues for precise placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a sharp needle is used to pierce the dense capsule, then penetration capability is improved, but the risk of uncontrollable popping through and damaging tissue beyond the capsule increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stylet dynamically changes position relative to the needle bevel based on tissue resistance. When the needle encounters the dense capsule, the stylet is pushed back, exposing the sharp bevel for effective penetration. When the needle exits the capsule and encounters less resistance, the stylet automatically extends forward to protect delicate structures. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between needing sharp penetration and avoiding over-penetration damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The stylet acts as an intermediary protective element between the sharp needle and the tissue. It can be positioned to either expose the sharp bevel for cutting through the capsule or extend to shield the bevel from damaging delicate structures on the other side of the capsule, thus mediating between penetration capability and tissue protection.
2Ease of operation
If blind needle placement is performed without visual aid, then procedural simplicity is maintained, but the precision of needle placement and risk of iatrogenic damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback member provides real-time tactile feedback to the surgeon during blind needle placement. As the needle progresses through tissue layers, the feedback member transmits resistance changes to the surgeon's hand, allowing detection of capsule penetration and proximity to delicate structures without visual aid. This tactile feedback system maintains procedural simplicity while significantly improving needle placement precision.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the stylet is positioned forward of the bevel tip, then protection of delicate structures is improved, but the ability to effectively pierce the dense capsule deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The stylet's position is dynamically determined by tissue resistance forces. During capsule penetration, high resistance pushes the stylet back, allowing the sharp bevel to effectively pierce the capsule. After exiting the capsule, reduced resistance allows the stylet to extend forward to protect delicate structures. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction between protection and piercing ability.
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 surgical needle enables controlled and precise entry into joint spaces, reducing iatrogenic damage and complications by providing tactile feedback and automatic stylet extension to protect delicate structures during portal creation.
Implementation Method 1
The feedback member provides a user with tactile feedback of the surgical needle moving relative to the tissue
Implementation Method 2
The blunt stylet rapidly extends beyond a tip of a bevel of the surgical needle when the surgical needle does not have tissue pressing against its distal end
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure provides examples of a surgical needle for entering a joint space through tissue, such as the hip joint. The surgical needle includes a stylet movable within a hollow body. The hollow body has at one end, a tip of a bevel for cutting tissue and at another end, a feedback member providing a surgeon with tactile feedback. The stylet has at one end, a resistance reducing member that when positioned a preset distance from the bevel reduces the resistance of the surgical needle through tissue. At the other end of the stylet is a stylet hub. In some examples of the surgical needle, the stylet hub includes a proximal stop, stylet locking member and/or locking member. The surgical needle advantageously provides tactile feedback, reduces resistance, and minimizes or prevents damage to delicate structures.