Surgical Tool for Artificial Urinary Sphincter Cuff Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgeons face challenges in dissecting tissue superior to the urethra during the placement of an artificial urinary sphincter, as this area is out of their line of sight, making it difficult to form a path for the cuff without risking damage to the urethra.
Innovation Solution
A surgical tool with a recess and piercing mechanism that immobilizes the inferior urethra and forms a channel in the tissue superior to it, allowing for the placement of the cuff of an artificial urinary sphincter, featuring a suction mechanism to provide clearance and a calibrated piercing mechanism to create a pathway behind the urethra.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a surgeon manually dissects tissue superior to the urethra to form a path for cuff placement, then the cuff can be placed around the urethra, but the procedure becomes complex and risky due to poor visibility and difficulty in forming the path
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a surgical tool as an intermediary device that includes a recess for receiving the urethra and a piercing mechanism for forming the tissue path. This mediator tool simplifies the complex manual dissection process by providing a structured approach with built-in guidance features, reducing surgical complexity while improving safety and reliability of cuff placement.
2Reliability
If the urethra is manually manipulated during dissection, then tissue path can be formed, but the risk of damaging the urethra increases due to lack of visualization
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical tool serves as a protective intermediary by providing a recess that securely receives and stabilizes the urethra during the dissection process. This stabilization prevents accidental damage while the piercing mechanism systematically forms the tissue path, making the operation easier and safer than manual manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool performs preliminary stabilization of the urethra within the recess before the piercing mechanism begins forming the tissue path. This preliminary action secures the urethra in a known position, eliminating the risk of damage during subsequent dissection operations.
3Manufacturing precision
If a piercing mechanism is used to form a channel in tissue superior to the urethra, then cuff placement path is created, but the mechanism must be precisely controlled to avoid urethral damage
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical tool acts as a precision intermediary by integrating the piercing mechanism within a structured framework that includes a recess for urethral reception. This framework provides built-in alignment and guidance features that automatically ensure precise channel formation without requiring complex external control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical tool adapted for placement of a cuff of an artificial urinary sphincter around a portion of a urethra includes a head attached to a handle. The head has a recess formed in a first end surface of the head and two pads. The recess is sized to receive an inferior portion of the urethra. A first pad is located on a first side of the recess, and a second pad is located on a second side of the recess and spaced a gap distance away from the first pad. A piercing mechanism is located in and movable out of one of the first pad or the second pad. The piercing mechanism is movable across the gap distance between the first pad and the second pad to form a channel in tissue superior to the urethra.