Tapered Suction Cup for Uniform Capsulotomy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tissue cutting devices in microsurgery face issues with uneven suction, inconsistent edge cutting, difficulty in aligning with surgical landmarks, and limited visual monitoring of suction levels, leading to inadequate capsulotomies during cataract surgery.
Innovation Solution
A microsurgical device with a suction cup design featuring a tapered circumferential chamber and a shorter central portion to ensure uniform suction, along with standoffs for material flow channels, and a stem configuration for perpendicular fluid flow, which helps in creating consistent rolled edges and assisting in device placement and suction monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single orifice is used for suction delivery, then device complexity is reduced, but suction uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The single orifice is divided into multiple orifices arranged around the periphery of the suction cup. This segmentation allows suction to be delivered at multiple locations simultaneously, ensuring uniform suction distribution across the entire tissue surface and eliminating the uneven suction patterns caused by single-point delivery.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional suction cup geometry is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but suction uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup incorporates a tapered circumferential chamber that is shorter at the proximal end and longer at the distal end, creating an asymmetric geometry. This asymmetric design optimizes the distribution of suction force across the tissue surface, ensuring more uniform pressure distribution while maintaining manufacturability through standard molding techniques.
3Strength
If more material is used in the suction cup, then structural strength is improved, but insertion force increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup employs variable wall thickness design where the circumferential chamber has greater thickness for structural strength and the central portion has reduced thickness to minimize insertion force. This local quality differentiation allows the structure to be strong where needed for maintaining suction seal while being easy to insert through tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction cup is designed to be collapsible between horizontal and vertical positions, allowing dynamic adaptation during insertion and operation. The containment pocket can collapse to a compact configuration for easy insertion through narrow incisions, then expand to provide adequate structural support during the surgical procedure.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the cutting element contacts tissue at multiple points, then cutting stability is improved, but edge consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting element is designed with only the inner bottom edge contacting the tissue, while the outer bottom edge is physically isolated. This segmentation of contact points ensures that only a specific portion of the cutting element interacts with the tissue, creating consistent rolled edges while maintaining cutting stability through the localized contact design.
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 achieves consistent and strong capsulotomies with uniform suction, reduced material usage for easier insertion, and enhanced visual feedback for precise surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The suction cup may form a tapered circumferential suction chamber which decreases in cross-sectional area from a proximal end of the device towards a distal end of the device. By having tapered circumferential suction chamber and/or a shorter central portion, the amount of material to be evacuated under suction is reduced, ensuring more uniform suction.
Implementation Method 2
The outer bottom edge of the cutting element is physically isolated from the tissue but is located at a sufficient distance from the tissue to remotely affect the tissue via a temperature change. The temperature change assists in the creation of a rolled edge.
Data Source
AI summary
A device is described herein for performing capsulotomies that improves suction uniformity and produces rolled capsulotomy edges. The device includes a suction cup that forms a tapered circumferential suction chamber which enables suction to be applied to a tissue in a first direction. The tapered circumferential suction chamber decreases in cross-sectional area from a proximal end of the device towards a distal end of the device. The device further includes a stem coupled to the suction cup to provide suction to the suction cup. The stem forms a neck that enables fluid flow to the suction cup in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The device further includes a cutting element configured to excise the tissue.