Vitrector Needle Assembly Using Spacer for Gap Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vitrectors face challenges in efficiently removing vitreous humor from the eye while minimizing noise and preventing needle damage, as the needle tip must oscillate close to the casing end without contacting it, requiring a precise gap maintenance during assembly.
Innovation Solution
The vitrector is assembled using a transmission unit with an oscillating needle, a distal housing portion, and an external needle casing, where an assembly pin is used to fix the needle in its most distal position, allowing a small gap between the needle tip and the casing end, preventing contact and noise, and ensuring efficient cutting and aspiration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the needle tip is positioned close to the casing end to efficiently remove vitreous humor, then the cutting efficiency is improved, but the risk of needle contact with casing end increases causing noise and damage
Solution Approach 1:
A spacer element is introduced as an intermediary component between the needle assembly and the casing end. This spacer maintains a precise gap that prevents needle contact with the casing end during oscillation, eliminating noise and preventing damage while allowing the needle to remain positioned for efficient cutting of vitreous humor.
2Productivity
If the needle oscillates close to the casing end for effective vitreous humor removal, then the aspiration efficiency is improved, but noise is generated due to contact between needle and casing
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer acts as a mediator that physically separates the oscillating needle from the casing end, preventing contact-induced noise while maintaining the needle's proximity to the casing opening for effective vitreous humor aspiration and removal.
3Reliability
If a precise gap is maintained between needle tip and casing end, then needle damage is prevented, but the complexity of assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is pre-installed onto the needle assembly during manufacturing, establishing the precise gap distance beforehand. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex post-assembly adjustments or precision positioning procedures, simplifying the overall assembly process while ensuring reliable needle protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer serves as a mechanical intermediary that inherently maintains the required gap distance through its physical dimensions, replacing complex adjustment mechanisms with a simple dimensional feature that ensures proper spacing without increasing assembly complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for assembling a vitrector, including: providing a distal housing portion for the vitrector, a transmission unit driving a needle into oscillation, an assembly pin to be inserted into the transmission unit to fix the needle in position, and a needle casing, having a lumen, the casing enclosing the needle within the lumen. The transmission unit is fixed to the distal housing portion, and the assembly pin is inserted into the transmission unit to fix a distal tip of the needle at a most distal position of the oscillation. The transmission unit is inserted, with the assembly pin inserted, to a predetermined position in the distal housing portion. The casing is inserted into the distal housing portion so that the distal tip butts a termination of the casing. The casing is fixed to the distal housing portion, and the assembly pin is removed from the transmission unit.