Vitrectomy Probe End Tissue Cutter Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vitrectomy probes require maneuvering to engage tissue due to a port located on the side wall, leading to reduced precision in cutting and removing vitreous humor, especially near the retina, and have a significant port to tip distance that hinders delicate ophthalmic surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A vitreous probe with an end tissue cutter featuring an outer cutting tube and an inner cutting member with a cutting blade that can rotate across a distal port for direct engagement and cutting, allowing for precise tissue removal with adjustable actuation speed and range, and optional multiple ports and blades for simultaneous cutting operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the port is formed on the side wall of the outer cutting member, then the probe can aspirate tissue, but the probe requires additional maneuvering to engage tissue and has a significant port to tip distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional port location from the side wall to the distal end wall of the outer cutting member. This inversion allows the cutting blades to directly engage tissue at the probe tip without requiring additional maneuvering, while the port is positioned at the very end of the probe rather than on the side, thereby reducing the port to tip distance to approximately 0.009'-0.015' and improving surgical precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If the port to tip distance is reduced, then surgical precision is improved, but the conventional design with side wall port cannot achieve zero port to tip distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested structure where the inner cutting member with cutting blades is disposed within the outer cutting member, and both are positioned within the housing. The inner cutting member can move axially within the outer cutting member, allowing the cutting blades to extend to or near the distal end where the port is located. This nesting arrangement enables the port to tip distance to be reduced to approximately 0.009'-0.015' without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
3Productivity
If multiple cutting blades and ports are used for simultaneous cutting operations, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cutting function by providing multiple cutting blades on the inner cutting member and multiple ports on the outer cutting member. Each blade-port combination can perform cutting operations independently or simultaneously. The inner cutting member may include 2-8 cutting blades, and the outer cutting member may include corresponding ports, allowing for segmented cutting of tissue at multiple locations or angles, thereby improving productivity while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular segmentation.
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 design enables direct engagement with target tissue, improving surgical precision and ease of use by reducing the need for additional instruments and minimizing port to tip distance, while allowing for efficient aspiration and cutting near the retina.
Implementation Method 1
The inner cutting member may include a cutting blade configured to move across the outer port and coordinate with the outer port to cut tissue received in the outer port
Implementation Method 2
The outer cutting tube may include a lumen sized to pass tissue adjacent the rod for aspiration from the eye
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods of and for an ophthalmic surgical system are disclosed. An ophthalmic surgical system may include a vitreous probe having a housing sized and shaped for grasping by a user. The vitreous probe may also include a cutter extending from the housing and being sized to penetrate and treat a patient eye. The cutter may include an outer cutting tube coupled to the housing. The outer cutting tube may have an outer port formed at a distal end wall of the outer cutting tube and configured to receive tissue. The cutter may include a rotatable inner cutting member disposed within the outer cutting tube. The inner cutting member may include a first cutting surface that rotates across the outer port to cut the tissue when the inner cutting member is rotated.