Tracked Energizable Instrument Control for Hidden Working Ends

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Solution Overview

Problem

During surgical procedures, particularly those involving energized instruments like electrosurgical instruments, the user relies solely on visual cues and experience to locate the working end, which can be hidden from direct view, making precise operation challenging.

Innovation Solution

A navigation system tracks the instrument's position and orientation, adjusting parameters such as cutting speed and power based on the tracked pose, providing real-time feedback to ensure precise operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a catheter-based system is used to deliver therapy to the heart, then minimally invasive access is achieved, but the catheter must navigate complex anatomy (aortic arch, carotid artery, aortic valve) which increases procedural complexity and risk

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveinvasivenessVSAvoidnavigation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of approaching the heart from the typical femoral artery route through the aortic arch and valve, the system reverses the approach by accessing through the radial artery and using a retrograde pathway. The delivery catheter is advanced through the radial artery, up the aorta, and positioned in the descending aorta, then the collapsible heart therapy device is deployed and pulled back through the aortic valve in a reversed sequence, avoiding the need to navigate the aortic arch and carotid artery

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a delivery catheter as an intermediary device that facilitates the passage of the collapsible heart therapy device through complex anatomical structures. The delivery catheter provides a protected pathway through the aortic valve and into the left ventricle, and then serves as a track for retracting the therapy device back through the aortic valve and into the descending aorta, simplifying the navigation of this complex route

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If a collapsible heart therapy device is deployed and then retrieved through the same access route, then the procedure is simplified, but the device must pass through the aortic valve twice which increases mechanical stress and procedural time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocedural simplicityVSAvoidprocedural time
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The delivery catheter is advanced and positioned in the left ventricle through the aortic valve before the collapsible heart therapy device is deployed. This preliminary positioning creates a prepared pathway that allows for efficient retrieval of the device back through the same route, reducing the time required for navigation during the retrieval phase

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs dynamic adjustment of the collapsible heart therapy device, transitioning it between expanded and collapsed states. The device is expanded during the deployment phase for therapeutic effect, then collapsed during retrieval to minimize profile and facilitate passage through the aortic valve. This dynamic state change optimizes both deployment and retrieval efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If the heart therapy device is expanded to therapeutic size, then therapeutic effectiveness is maximized, but the device profile increases making retrieval through the aortic valve difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetherapeutic effectivenessVSAvoidretrievability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The collapsible heart therapy device dynamically changes its state between expanded and collapsed configurations. It is expanded to a large profile within the left ventricle to maximize therapeutic effectiveness for treating cardiac conditions. For retrieval, the device is collapsed to a small profile that can easily pass through the aortic valve and be withdrawn through the radial artery access, solving the contradiction between therapeutic size and retrievability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs periodic action by alternating between expansion and collapse phases. The device is expanded during the therapeutic phase when positioned in the left ventricle, then collapsed during the retrieval phase when being withdrawn through the aortic valve and access vessel. This periodic transition between states optimizes both therapeutic effectiveness and ease of retrieval

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP4319671B1Energizable instrument assembly
Publication Date: 2026.05.13 MEDTRONIC NAVIGATION INC
  • EP4319671B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4319671B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4319671B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system for altering an energizable instrument for performing a procedure on the subject. The instrument may be tracked during a procedure and a controller may alter operation thereof during the selected procedure. The energizable instrument may have energy provided to a working end to heat a working end to a selected temperature for various procedures such as cutting, coagulation, vaporization, or the like.