Actuation Element Guide Pre-Compression for Flexible Surgical Shafts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical instruments with flexible shafts face challenges when advancing through cannulas with curved sections during minimally invasive surgical procedures, particularly in maintaining effective actuation of end effectors and wrists due to changes in actuation element length.
Innovation Solution
The surgical instrument incorporates an actuation element guide that is compressed into a pre-compressed state along a portion of the shaft's axial length, minimizing changes in actuation element length and maintaining effective actuation despite bending through curved cannulas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the shaft is made flexible to advance through curved cannulas, then the instrument can be inserted through curved sections, but the actuation element length changes causing loss of effective actuation
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation element guide is pre-compressed along a portion of the shaft's axial length before use. This preliminary compression creates a pre-compressed state that compensates for length changes that occur when the shaft is bent during insertion through curved cannulas, thereby maintaining reliable actuation while enabling flexible navigation.
2Reliability
If the actuation element guide is compressed into a pre-compressed state, then actuation element length changes are minimized, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation element guide is constructed as a flexible component that can be compressed and deformed. This flexible structure allows the guide to be compressed into a pre-compressed state without requiring complex mechanical mechanisms, thus achieving actuation consistency while limiting the increase in device complexity.
3Reliability
If the actuation element guide is compressed along the shaft, then actuation is maintained through curved sections, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation element guide undergoes a change in its physical state from a relaxed state to a pre-compressed state. This parameter change (compression) is applied along a portion of the shaft's axial length to compensate for bending effects. By controlling the compression parameter rather than requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances, the system achieves reliable actuation while managing manufacturing precision requirements.
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 solution ensures consistent and reliable actuation of surgical instruments through curved cannulas, minimizing interference from length changes in actuation elements and maintaining instrument functionality.
Implementation Method 1
the actuation element guide is compressed into a pre-compressed state along at least a portion of an axial length of the shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument includes a shaft, a force transmission mechanism disposed at a first end of the shaft, an end effector disposed at a second end of the shaft, an actuation element that extends along the shaft from the force transmission mechanism to the end effector, and an actuation element guide extending along the shaft. The actuation element guide defines a lumen in which the actuation element guide is received. The actuation element guide is compressed into a pre-compressed state along at least a portion of an axial length of the shaft. The actuation element guide can be compressed between first and second blocks of the instrument. The instrument can include a flush tube configured to receive a cleaning fluid, with the actuation element guide being in flow communication with the flush tube to receive the cleaning fluid in the lumen of the actuation element guide.