Tissue Excision Cable Assembly for Precise Low-Thermal Biopsy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing minimally invasive breast biopsy methods, such as electrosurgical cutting, suffer from issues like thermal damage to surrounding tissue, uneven tissue removal, and inefficiencies due to varying electrical resistivity of breast tissue types, leading to incomplete pathological samples and patient discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A minimally invasive tissue retrieval system using a tubular delivery cannula with a resistively heated cutting and pursing cable, confined to direct contact with tissue for thermal cutting, minimizing electrical current flow through non-contact portions to prevent thermal damage and ensure precise tissue capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If electrosurgical cutting is used for tissue excision, then cutting efficiency is improved, but thermal damage to surrounding tissue occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the electrical properties of different cable portions. The cutting cable portion has high electrical conductivity for efficient tissue cutting, while the pursing cable portion has low electrical conductivity to minimize thermal damage. This localized differentiation of electrical properties allows the system to achieve effective cutting while protecting surrounding tissue from thermal injury.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable is segmented into functionally distinct portions: a cutting cable portion with high electrical conductivity for tissue excision, and a pursing cable portion with low electrical conductivity for tissue retraction. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function with optimized electrical properties, resolving the contradiction between cutting efficiency and thermal damage prevention.
2Manufacturing precision
If electrical current flows through the cable for cutting, then tissue excision is achieved, but uneven tissue removal occurs due to varying electrical resistivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs local quality by making the cutting cable portion uniformly conductive to ensure consistent current distribution along its length. This uniform electrical property compensates for variations in tissue electrical resistivity, enabling even tissue removal and complete sample acquisition for pathological examination.
3Speed
If high electrical current is applied for cutting, then cutting speed is improved, but patient discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating high electrical current flow specifically in the cutting cable portion that is in direct contact with tissue. The pursing cable portion maintains low electrical conductivity, minimizing current flow and associated discomfort. This localized current distribution enables fast cutting while reducing patient discomfort during the pursing phase.
4Manufacturing precision
If the cable contacts tissue for cutting, then precise excision is achieved, but thermal damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by making the cutting cable portion highly conductive for precise excision while making the pursing cable portion low-conductive to prevent thermal damage. The system achieves both precise tissue removal and thermal protection through localized differentiation of electrical properties in different cable portions.
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 system achieves precise, minimally invasive tissue excision with reduced thermal injury and discomfort, providing intact tissue samples suitable for pathological examination while maintaining tissue integrity and reducing procedural complications.
Implementation Method 1
A minimally invasive tissue retrieval system using a tubular delivery cannula with a resistively heated cutting and pursing cable, confined to direct contact with tissue for thermal cutting
Data Source
AI summary
The recovery of an intact volume of tissue proceeds with a delivery cannula distal end positioned in confronting adjacency with the volume of tissue to be recovered. A tissue cutting and capture assembly formed of a plurality of metal leafs is deployed from the distal end of the delivery cannula. The tips of these leafs carry a pursing cable assembly, which is electrically excited to electrosurgically cut around and circumscribe the tissue volume. These pursing cables are tensioned to complete the envelopment of the tissue volumes by drawing the leaf tips together. An essential attribute of the disclosed apparatus is the confinement of the path of electrical conduction of constant current required to achieve tissue cutting to only those portions of the deploying and retracting resistively heated portion of the electrically conductive cutting and pursing cable that are in direct contact with tissue.