Access Tube Control Member for In-Surgery Repositioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Access tubes used in minimally invasive surgical procedures are cumbersome and time-consuming to reposition during surgery, often requiring removal of surgical instruments and causing awkward manipulation.

Innovation Solution

A control member with a handle and mounting formation that allows for easy attachment and detachment to an access tube, enabling precise adjustment of the tube's position and trajectory within patient anatomy, while maintaining access for surgical instruments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If access tubes are secured in position using external devices and bone anchors, then stability of the access tube is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to awkward and cumbersome repositioning

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of access tube positionVSAvoidease of repositioning access tube

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The control member is divided into separate functional segments: a mounting formation with insertion portion and lip for securing the access tube, and a handle portion for manipulation. This segmentation allows the access tube to remain stable when mounted while enabling easy repositioning through handle manipulation without removing the mounting formation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The control member acts as an intermediary device between the surgeon and the access tube. The mounting formation provides stable attachment to the access tube while the handle portion serves as a mediator for precise manipulation and repositioning, eliminating the need to remove the access tube from its secured position.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If access tubes are secured using bone anchors, then reliability of access tube positioning is improved, but loss of time increases due to time-consuming repositioning procedures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of access tube positioningVSAvoidtime for repositioning access tube

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The control member enables dynamic adjustment of the access tube position while maintaining reliable securing. The mounting formation with its insertion portion and lip provides secure attachment that can be quickly manipulated through the handle portion, allowing rapid repositioning without the time-consuming process of removing and reattaching bone anchors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If control member is mounted on access tube, then ease of operation is improved for adjusting tube position, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of adjusting access tube positionVSAvoidcomplexity of control member structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control member applies local quality by having different portions serve different functions: the mounting formation (with insertion portion and lip) provides secure attachment at one location, while the handle portion provides manipulation capability at another location. This localized functional differentiation achieves ease of operation without requiring complex overall device architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20250375225A1Control Member For Adjusting Access Tube Position, and Related Systems and Methods

Publication Date: 2025.12.11 MEDOS INT SARL

AI summary

A control member for mounting to an end of an access tube includes a body that defines a proximal end and a distal end spaced from each other along a central axis. The control member defines a bore extending between the proximal and distal ends along the central axis, a handle portion that extends to the proximal end, and a mounting formation that extends to the distal end. The mounting formation includes an insertion portion that is insertable within the access tube and a lip that is opposed to the insertion portion so as to define a receptacle configured to receive an end portion of the access tube.