Threaded Vocal Cord Implant with Guided Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for vocal cord medialization lack effective methods for precise placement and secure fixation, leading to suboptimal vocal cord positioning and timbre adjustment during treatment.
Innovation Solution
A medical device with a threaded elongate body and a delivery system that includes a light fiber and access system for precise drilling and placement within the thyroid cartilage, allowing for the medialization of vocal cords by creating a passageway and securely advancing the device to achieve desired vocal cord positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional medical devices are used for vocal cord medialization, then the basic function of vocal cord positioning is achieved, but precise placement and secure fixation are not achieved, leading to suboptimal vocal cord positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into distinct functional segments: a threaded elongate body for secure fixation, a delivery system for precise placement, and a light fiber component for guidance. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function while working together as an integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery system enables preliminary positioning and verification of the device before final fixation. The light fiber allows pre-placement verification of correct positioning within the thyroid cartilage, ensuring optimal vocal cord medialization before the device is permanently secured.
2Reliability
If a threaded elongate body is used for secure fixation, then fixation security is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for precise threading and delivery mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The threaded elongate body is nested within the delivery system, which itself contains the light fiber. This nested configuration allows the complex threaded fixation mechanism to be delivered through a streamlined catheter-like structure, reducing the apparent complexity during the surgical procedure while maintaining secure fixation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery system acts as an intermediary that simplifies the deployment of the threaded elongate body. Rather than directly manipulating the threaded component, the delivery system provides a controlled mechanism for advancement and deployment, making the complex fixation mechanism easier to implement.
3Measurement precision
If a delivery system with light fiber is used for precise placement, then placement precision is improved, but the device complexity and ease of operation are affected
Solution Approach 1:
The light fiber provides self-verification of correct placement through light emission or detection. The system essentially verifies its own positioning by utilizing the light fiber to confirm proper placement within the thyroid cartilage, reducing the need for complex external verification procedures and simplifying the overall operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Medical devices, systems, methods, and kits for the medialization of a vocal cord are described. An embodiment of a medical device comprises a proximal portion, a distal portion, and an elongate body extending from the proximal portion to the distal portion. The elongate body defines a thread extending from the proximal portion and the distal portion.