TIPS Access Kit with Stylet-Controlled Needle Curvature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing TIPS access kits require multiple needle withdrawals and manual bending to adjust curvature, prolonging procedures and risking self-infection due to pathogen exposure.
Innovation Solution
A bendable and rigid access needle with integrated stylets for in-situ curvature adjustment, allowing for precise puncture of the portal vein without repeated withdrawals, featuring lumens for guidewire and aspiration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the needle is made rigid to pierce through stiff liver tissue, then puncture capability is improved, but the needle cannot be bent to adjust curvature for different access angles
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is divided into multiple segments that can articulate relative to each other, allowing the distal end to maintain rigidity for puncture while the proximal segments can bend for curvature adjustment. The articulation points enable the needle to achieve different angles without compromising the structural integrity of the puncture tip.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle incorporates materials with different mechanical properties along its length - the distal end uses harder, more rigid materials for effective tissue penetration, while the proximal portions use more flexible materials that allow bending and curvature adjustment. This gradient in material properties resolves the contradiction between needing rigidity for puncture and flexibility for positioning.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the needle is made flexible to allow bending and navigation through vasculature, then adaptability is improved, but the needle cannot effectively pierce through stiff liver tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is divided into multiple segments that can articulate relative to each other, allowing the distal end to maintain rigidity for puncture while the proximal segments can bend for curvature adjustment. The articulation points enable the needle to achieve different angles without compromising the structural integrity of the puncture tip.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle incorporates materials with different mechanical properties along its length - the distal end uses harder, more rigid materials for effective tissue penetration, while the proximal portions use more flexible materials that allow bending and curvature adjustment. This gradient in material properties resolves the contradiction between needing rigidity for puncture and flexibility for positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual bending of the needle is required to adjust curvature, then adaptability is improved, but procedure time increases and risk of self-infection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is pre-configured with articulation mechanisms and memory alloy sections that automatically assume the required curvature upon insertion or with minimal actuation. This eliminates the need for time-consuming manual bending operations during the procedure, reducing both procedure time and the number of needle manipulations that increase infection risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle incorporates shape memory alloy sections that automatically return to a predetermined curved configuration when heated by body temperature or activated by a simple external stimulus. This self-adjusting capability eliminates the need for manual bending by the surgeon, thereby reducing procedure time and minimizing opportunities for self-infection during needle handling.
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
Reduces procedure time, minimizes patient trauma, and enhances user safety by enabling quick and accurate portal vein puncture.
Implementation Method 1
The needle comprises a shaft which is made of a material that allows the needle to change its angle of deflection by at least 2° as one or more stylets are advanced through the first lumen
Data Source
Figure 1a~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5a~5e
AI summary
Access kit for creating a TIPS shunt, comprising: a needle for puncturing diseased liver tissue, the needle comprising a first and a second lumen extending longitudinally through the needle, the needle having a first longitudinal end arranged for puncturing tissue and a second longitudinal end arranged for manipulation by a user, one or more stylets, the stylets being suitable for being advanced through the first lumen, wherein the needle and the one or more stylets are arranged so that, as one of the one or more stylets is advanced through the first lumen, the curvature of the needle changes.