Tissue Retractor with Granule-Based Shape Memory
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current visceral retractors are inadequate for effectively managing and maintaining tissue position during surgical procedures, as they often fail to hold large amounts of tissue in a fixed position without constant human intervention and are prone to tissue slipping or sliding.
Innovation Solution
A flexible biocompatible tissue retractor device with an internal cavity containing granules or viscous fluid that can change from a pliable to a rigid state, allowing it to conform to and securely hold tissue in a desired position within the body cavity, using mechanisms such as fluid evacuation or magnetic fields.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a rigid fan-type design or inflatable bladder is used, then tissue can be moved, but the retractor cannot conform to the target tissue and requires constant human interaction to maintain position
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor body is designed to be dynamically changeable between a collapsed low-profile state for insertion and an expanded state for tissue retraction. The flexible material allows the retractor to adapt its shape and conform to the target tissue, eliminating the need for constant human adjustment while maintaining secure positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The retractor utilizes changes in physical parameters (flexibility, rigidity, volume) of the flexible material to achieve different functional states. By manipulating the material's properties through expansion and contraction, the retractor can conform to tissue contours while maintaining stability without continuous human intervention.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible material is used, then the retractor can conform to tissue, but it cannot maintain a fixed position without constant human interaction
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor transitions from a flexible conformable state during insertion to a stabilized expanded state during operation. This dynamic transformation allows the retractor to initially adapt to tissue contours and then maintain a reliable fixed position, combining both conformability and positional stability in different operational phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The retractor is constructed from flexible material that can be manipulated to achieve both conformability and stability. The flexible shell allows initial adaptation to tissue shape, while the expansion mechanism provides the structural integrity needed to hold tissue in a fixed position reliably without constant human interaction.
3Reliability
If the retractor is made rigid for stability, then it can hold tissue in fixed position, but it cannot be easily inserted through small incisions
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor exhibits dynamic structural transformation, collapsing to a low-profile flexible state for easy insertion through small incisions, then expanding to a rigid stable state for reliable tissue holding. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between insertability and positional stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible shell structure enables the retractor to be compressed and inserted through small openings, then expanded within the body cavity to achieve the rigidity needed for stable tissue retraction. The flexible material provides both the compliance for insertion and the structural integrity for positioning.
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
Enables secure and stable tissue retraction and positioning, reducing the need for constant manual adjustment and minimizing tissue movement, thereby enhancing surgical access and reducing tissue damage.
Implementation Method 1
The tissue retractor can be configured from the first state to the second state by removing fluid from within the internal cavity
Implementation Method 2
The material can include a viscous fluid responsive to a magnetic field
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices are provided for performing surgical procedures using tissue retractors. In general, the methods and devices allow a surgeon to use a retractor to capture a large or small amount of tissue in the retractor and to move the retractor to relocate tissue to one or more convenient locations during a surgical procedure. The retractor can be configured from a pliable state to a substantially rigid state to hold the retractor and the tissue in a substantially fixed position during the procedure.