Tissue Retraction Mechanism for Safe Laparoscopic Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical procedures for accessing body cavities, such as the abdominal cavity, face challenges with injury risks due to poor control of insertion devices and the use of blades, which can result in over-insertion and damage to internal organs, despite insufflation efforts to create space.
Innovation Solution
The development of an insertion device with a tissue retraction mechanism that pulls the body cavity wall over a distal sleeve, eliminating the need for pushing the device through the tissue and reducing injury risks, using a retraction mechanism with a distal portion that engages the cavity wall and a proximal portion slidably disposed within the sleeve to apply a pulling force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If insufflation is used to expand the cavity and move the peritoneum away from internal organs, then the working space is increased and potential for injury is reduced, but the working area remains extremely small and control of the insertion device is poor
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pushing the insertion device through the cavity wall in the conventional manner, the patent inverts the approach by having the cavity wall pulled over the distal end of the elongate sleeve. This reversal of the insertion mechanism provides superior control and eliminates over-insertion risks while maintaining the benefits of insufflation-created working space.
2Ease of operation
If blades are positioned at the distal tip of the insertion device to facilitate driving through tissue, then insertion is easier, but the risk of injury once inside the body cavity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cutting function from the distal tip of the insertion device by positioning blades on the retraction mechanism rather than on the elongate sleeve itself. This separation allows the sleeve to be blunt and safe for insertion, while the blades remain contained on the retraction mechanism that will be withdrawn afterward, eliminating the hazard of internal blades.
Solution Approach 2:
The retraction mechanism serves as an intermediary carrier for the blades during insertion. The blades are transported to the treatment site via the retraction mechanism rather than being fixed to the elongate sleeve, allowing controlled deployment only when needed and preventing accidental contact with internal organs.
3Ease of operation
If the insertion device is pushed through the peritoneum following insufflation, then access to the body cavity is achieved, but over-insertion can occur resulting in injury to internal organs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally inverts the insertion mechanism: instead of pushing the device through tissue, the cavity wall is pulled over the distal end of the elongate sleeve. This reversal provides inherent control that prevents over-insertion, as the pulling action naturally stops when the wall engages the sleeve, eliminating the risk of penetrating too deeply and injuring internal organs.
Solution Approach 2:
The cavity wall itself serves as the driving force for insertion, pulling itself over the sleeve through the retraction mechanism. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external pushing forces that could lead to loss of control and over-insertion, as the tissue's own movement controls the insertion depth.
Data Source
AI summary
An insertion device configured to provide access to a treatment site within a body cavity (e.g., an abdominal cavity) is provided herein. In general, the device includes any type of elongate sleeve (e.g., a trocar) having an inner lumen. Further, the device includes a tissue retraction mechanism configured to extend from a distal end of the sleeve wherein the tissue retraction mechanism is configured to securely engage a cavity wall such that in response to a retraction force the mechanism can pull the cavity wall over the distal end of the sleeve thereby positioning the sleeve across the cavity wall. Additionally, various embodiments of a method for providing access to a body cavity are also provided herein.