Adjustable Height Seal Port for Minimally Invasive Surgery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally invasive surgical procedures face challenges in maintaining a fluid-tight seal within the body cavity, leading to gas escape and deflation of the surgical site, particularly when using access devices with multiple instrument access through a single incision.
Innovation Solution
A surgical apparatus comprising a clamping member with an accordion section and a seal anchor member, both made from deformable materials like open-cell polyurethane foam or thermoplastic elastomer, which can transition between expanded and contracted lengths to securely anchor within the tissue tract, maintaining a fluid-tight seal through adjustable ports for surgical instruments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid access device is used to maintain a fluid-tight seal, then the seal reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in positioning and adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The access device incorporates a collapsible intermediate section that can dynamically change its configuration. The intermediate section includes multiple segments that can be collapsed to reduce the device length for easier insertion and repositioning, then expanded to provide stable support for maintaining the fluid-tight seal during surgery.
Solution Approach 2:
The access device is divided into distinct segments including a proximal section, an intermediate section with multiple collapsible segments, and a distal section. This segmentation allows the device to be compressed for easy positioning within the tissue tract, then expanded to provide stable seal maintenance capability.
2Ease of operation
If the access device is made collapsible for easy positioning, then the ease of operation is improved, but the seal reliability deteriorates due to potential instability
Solution Approach 1:
The device transitions from a collapsed state during insertion to an expanded state during surgery. The intermediate section segments are designed to automatically expand and lock into position once the device is inserted, providing stable support for seal maintenance while allowing easy collapse for positioning.
3Productivity
If multiple instrument ports are provided through a single incision, then the productivity is improved by reducing the number of incisions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The access device serves multiple functions through a single incision site. It provides a stable anchor point, maintains the fluid-tight seal, and accommodates multiple instrument ports. The collapsible intermediate section enables the device to be inserted through a small incision and then expanded to provide multi-functional capabilities.
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
The apparatus effectively maintains a fluid-tight seal during minimally invasive procedures, reducing gas escape and facilitating easy instrument access, while being easy to position and adjust, thus enhancing surgical efficiency and patient recovery.
Implementation Method 1
The second member is deformable. The second member is constructed of an elastic material. The second member is constructed of an open-cell polyurethane foam, a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a gel, or a polyisoprene material.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical apparatus, for positioning within a tissue tract to access an underlying body cavity, is provided. The surgical apparatus includes a first and second member. The first member has a proximal ramp section, an accordion section, and a retaining portion. The first member defines a first longitudinal axis, a first proximal end, and a first distal end. The second member has a tubular proximal section, a portal portion, and a distal flange. The second member defines a second longitudinal axis, a second proximal end, and a second distal end. The second member includes a retaining structure to couple the first member to the second member. The first member is located at least partially in the tubular section of the second member.