In vitro evaluation of the insertion force for different dilator tip configurations

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Device Design
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Minimally invasive procedures rely on effective tissue insertion of medical devices.
• Current dilator tip designs may present challenges during insertion, potentially causing tissue trauma.
• Optimizing dilator geometry is crucial for improving procedural efficiency and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the tissue penetration insertion force of various dilator tip geometries.
• To compare the insertion force of novel dilator tip designs against a standard conical control.
• To determine if modified dilator tips offer reduced insertion force in simulated tissue environments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized simulated tissue for testing dilator tip geometries.
• Employed an ad hoc device to measure the penetration force required for insertion.
• Compared four distinct dilator tip designs: conical (control), triangular, diamond, and biconvex.

Main Results:

• All tested modified dilator tip designs (triangular, diamond, biconvex) demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in insertion force compared to the conical control (P < .05).
• Angled dilator tip geometries consistently required less force for tissue penetration.
• The study quantified the force reduction associated with each novel tip design.

Conclusions:

• Angled dilator tip geometries, such as triangular, diamond, and biconvex designs, significantly facilitate tissue insertion.
• These findings suggest potential for improved medical device design, particularly for dilators and catheters.
• Novel tip designs may lead to enhanced procedural ease and reduced tissue trauma.