OEDK - Rice University - Member public profile

Back

Lapras

Development of a Novel Laparoscope Cleaning System

Member profile details

Membership level

2018-2019 Team

Project Thumbnail Image

Team Name

Lapras

Project Title

Development of a Novel Laparoscope Cleaning System

Design Challenge

Laparoscopic surgeries are minimally invasive procedures performed by inserting a camera into small incisions in the abdomen. The entire procedure is performed by looking at the image the scope projects onto a screen in the OR, but camera scopes often become obscured by condensation, tissue debris, and bodily fluids. The status quo in restoring visibility involves fully removing the laparoscope from the patient several times and cleaning it externally, scraping debris from the lens internally against organs, or using extra costly equipment to clean scopes. Some drawbacks of these solutions include disruption of procedural workflow, patient safety risk, and increased operating costs and time. A trocar with an automated, integrated scope rinse and dry system has the potential to reduce procedure time, enhance workflow, and improve patient safety.

Design Summary

To address our problem statement, we came up with a list of nine design specifications for our final design to meet. First, we want to ensure our device removes all types of debris that could obstruct scope vision, such as condensation, blood, tissue debris, and fat, and second, we want to restore 90% Field of View to the scope in less than 5 seconds. Our third specification was to limit the average number of scope removals per hour to one or less and fourth, we wanted to limit the number of device failures to 1% or less, out of 100 cleanings. Our fifth and sixth specifications were to remove 100% of condensation and more than 90% of debris on the lens with one cleaning cycle. Our seventh and eighth specifications were to limit the cost of our device to less than $100 and to have our device be sterilizable and refurbishable like current trocars on the market. Our ninth design specification was to limit the amount of saline accumulated per cleaning cycle to less than 5mL, in order to reduce complications to the patient and make cleanup at the end of the surgery quicker for the operating staff.

In order to meet these specifications, our final design is a modification of a standard trocar with a fluid irrigation channel integrated into its wall and an additional check valve incorporated to control fluid flow. Our device will be connected to a hand-pressurized saline bag via tubing, and saline will flow down a channel in the trocar and shoot out of a nozzle angled up at the scope at 45 degrees to clean off obstructions blocking the Field of View. At the start of a surgery, a member of the surgical staff will inflate the pressure cuff to pressurize the saline bag. They will inflate the bag until water starts flowing through the tubing, making sure the check valve on the trocar is in the 'Off' position. When the visual field is obstructed throughout the procedure, the staff operating the scope will turn the check valve to the 'On' position, and then will pull the scope into the trocar until it is above a reflective strip placed above the nozzle. This will confirm that they have the scope in the optimal position to be cleaned at maximum efficacy. As saline starts to flow through the tubing and the integrated channel, it will shoot up at the scope and clear off obstructions. At this point, the check valve should be turned to the 'Off' position, and the procedure can resume as normal. If at any point the scope is totally obstructed and the reflective material cannot be seen, starting the cleaning procedure will begin to remove obstructions and partially restore vision. At this point the scope can be placed in the optimal position and the cleaning procedure can resume. Our in vitro testing has shown that the average cleaning time using our device to remove blood and tissue debris is 3.2 sec, thus significantly improving the operating room workflow.

Date Updated

Wednesday, April 24, 2019