Albarran Pull Wire Carrier Assembly for Reconditioning and Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Albarran systems face difficulties in efficient assembly and reconditioning due to complex and error-prone assembly methods for pull wires, inadequate cleaning of internal components, and high material costs for single-use instruments.
Innovation Solution
A pull wire carrier with a through-bore and a releasable cover element allows secure fixation of pull wires from the proximal side, featuring recesses for enhanced cleaning and a friction clutch to prevent mechanical damage, and is made from PEEK for durability and ease of cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pull wires are braced using grub screws from the side, then mechanical tensioning is achieved, but assembly becomes complex and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of accessing the pull wire from the side (transversely) to brace it with grub screws, the invention inverts the approach by providing access from the proximal end (longitudinally). The pull wire is guided through a through-bore and secured with a set screw from the proximal side, completely reversing the traditional bracing direction and simplifying the assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the bracing operation from the complex side-access procedure and isolates it to a simple proximal-end operation. The pull wire is braced independently at the proximal end using a set screw, separating this function from the toggle assembly and eliminating the need for complex lateral access through the drive body.
2Ease of manufacture
If pull wires are annealed for deformability, then bracing becomes possible, but the process becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the thermal annealing process with a purely mechanical bracing solution. Instead of heating the wire to make it deformable for bracing, the wire is braced in its original state using a set screw from the proximal end, eliminating the thermal processing step and significantly reducing assembly time and complexity.
3Strength
If complex assembly methods are used for pull wire bracing, then mechanical stability is achieved, but reconditioning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the bracing function into a separate, accessible component at the proximal end. The set screw and through-bore configuration creates a modular bracing system that can be independently accessed and serviced without disassembling the entire Albarran, making reconditioning straightforward while maintaining mechanical stability.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If materials withstand heat and mechanical stress, then durability is improved, but cleaning and sterilization become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses homogeneous PEEK material for the drive body, pull wire carrier, and toggle components. This uniform polymer material is inherently resistant to both mechanical stress and thermal effects, while simultaneously being easily cleanable and sterilizable, eliminating the trade-off between durability and cleanability that plagues composite or metal constructions.
Data Source
AI summary
An Albarran and a pull wire carrier are particularly efficiently usable as well as producible and reconditionable. The pull wire carrier for an Albarran includes a through-bore for a tubular shaft. This pull wire carrier can be mounted in a drive body of the Albarran, pull wires for the actuation of a lever of the Albarran being braceable on the pull wire carrier. This pull wire carrier is characterized by a receptacle into which a cover element can be placed, the cover element being releasably connectable to the pull wire carrier. The at least one pull wire is fixable between the pull wire carrier and the cover element.