Actuating Member Axial Guide for Compact Medical Elongated Members
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing actuating members for medical elongated members face challenges in reliably transmitting push/pull forces and require large pulleys, leading to bulky medical apparatuses, especially when converting straight push/pull actions into circumferential bending motions.
Innovation Solution
An actuating member with a push/pull member comprising first and second moving portions and an operating member that allows axial movement without conversion, enabling efficient advance/retraction and bending actions by guiding these movements through inclined guide portions, eliminating the need for winding around a pulley, thus reducing the overall size of the medical apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the push/pull member is wound around the pulley to convert straight motion into circumferential bending motion, then the bending action can be achieved, but the apparatus size becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the pulley component from the actuating member structure. Instead of winding the push/pull member around a pulley, the design uses a direct coupling where the push/pull member's axial movement is transmitted directly to the elongated member, removing the need for the pulley and associated winding mechanism, thereby reducing apparatus size while maintaining bending capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the dimensional approach by allowing the push/pull member to move axially (along the length of the elongated member) rather than requiring circumferential winding motion. This axial movement dimension is directly transmitted to the elongated member, eliminating the need for the pulley's circumferential geometry and reducing the overall apparatus volume
2Ease of operation
If a wire with small rigidity is used as the push/pull member, then the winding around pulley can be achieved, but the push/pull force transmission becomes unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible member that can be considered disposable or replaceable, designed to be simple and effective rather than permanent and complex. This flexible member transmits push/pull forces reliably through its flexibility to the elongated member without requiring the complex pulley-winding system, achieving both reliability and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by allowing the push/pull member to move axially rather than circumferentially. This parameter change enables the use of a flexible member with appropriate rigidity to transmit forces reliably, as the axial movement direction aligns with the force transmission path, eliminating the need for the pulley's circumferential geometry
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
This configuration ensures efficient transmission of push/pull movements to the elongated member, enhances operability, and allows for a more compact medical apparatus design while maintaining the ability to perform both advance/retraction and bending actions with reduced traveling distances of the moving portions.
Implementation Method 1
The operating member includes a first guide portion, which is inclined against an orthogonal plane orthogonal to the axial direction of the elongated member and which guides the movement of the first moving portion, and a second guide portion, which is inclined against the orthogonal plane and which guides the movement of the second moving portion
Data Source
AI summary
An actuating member, which makes a flexible elongated member for medical use perform a predetermined action, includes a push/pull member and an operating member. The push/pull member includes a first moving portion and a second moving portion which are disposed on a proximal side and are movable relative to each other, a first extending portion that extends from the first moving portion, and a second extending portion that extends from the second moving portion. The push/pull member is pushed/pulled in conjunction with a movement of the first moving portion and the second moving portion. The operating member is rotatable in a circumferential direction of the elongated member. The operating member includes a first guide portion and a second guide portion, which guide the first moving portion and the second moving portion. The push/pull member is capable of making the elongated member perform an advance/retraction action and/or a bending action.