Variable-Length Guide Apparatus for Flexible Instrument Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing minimally invasive medical procedures face challenges in supporting flexible interventional instruments as they are inserted into patient anatomy, leading to deformation and potential damage of internal components like optical fibers and endoscopic equipment due to unsupported sections of the instrument.
Innovation Solution
A variable-length support assembly comprising a series of linkages connected by hinge components, allowing for rotational and linear movement, which can transition between expanded and compact configurations to maintain a fixed length of the instrument and prevent deformation, featuring a return assembly to shorten the support assembly as the instrument is inserted.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a flexible interventional instrument is inserted into patient anatomy without support, then the instrument can be easily maneuvered, but the instrument bends and buckles causing deformation and potential damage to internal components
Solution Approach 1:
The support assembly is divided into multiple individual linkages (first linkage, second linkage, third linkage, fourth linkage) connected in series, allowing each segment to independently support the instrument while accommodating bends and curves in the anatomy, preventing buckling without restricting maneuverability
Solution Approach 2:
The linkages are arranged in a three-dimensional configuration around the central lumen, creating a spatial support structure that provides radial support to the instrument from multiple directions, preventing buckling while allowing longitudinal movement and navigation through anatomical passages
2Reliability
If a rigid support structure is used to prevent instrument deformation, then the instrument is protected from buckling, but the support assembly becomes too long and complex to store and deploy
Solution Approach 1:
The multiple linkages are configured to nest within each other when retracted, with each linkage capable of sliding into the space created by adjacent linkages, allowing the entire support assembly to be compacted to a minimal length for storage and deployment through catheters
Solution Approach 2:
The linkages are designed with movable connections that allow dynamic transition between extended and retracted configurations, enabling the support assembly to adapt its length based on the operational needs while maintaining structural integrity when deployed
3Reliability
If multiple linkages are connected to form a support assembly, then the instrument is supported and protected, but the device complexity and number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each linkage is designed as a multi-functional component that provides structural support, guides the instrument through its central lumen, and can be individually actuated for controlled deployment and retraction, reducing the need for separate specialized components
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for guiding a flexible instrument includes a first plurality of linkages forming a first side of a channel of a support assembly and a second plurality of linkages forming a second side opposite the first side. In an elongated configuration, each linkage of the first plurality of linkages is interlocked between two adjacent linkages of the second plurality of linkages. Each linkage of the first plurality of linkages is hingedly coupled to an adjacent linkage of the first plurality by a bridging element that maintains a spacing between each linkage of the first plurality of linkages and each respective adjacent linkage. The support assembly transitions from the elongated configuration to a separated configuration as the support assembly is advanced along a longitudinal axis defined by the channel. In the separated configuration, each linkage of the first plurality of linkages is unlocked from between the two adjacent linkages.