Anvil Retention and Release for Powered Circular Surgical Stapler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical stapling instruments lack efficient mechanisms for ensuring proper attachment and secure operation of the anvil to the trocar, which can lead to improper firing and potential tissue damage during anastomosis procedures.
Innovation Solution
The development of a circular surgical stapling instrument with a trocar and anvil configuration that includes a lockout assembly and retention features, ensuring secure attachment through a snap fit mechanism and providing audible, tactile, and visual feedback for proper alignment, along with independent actuation of closure, stapling, and cutting functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a snap fit mechanism is used to attach the anvil to the trocar, then the attachment security is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for retention and lockout features
Solution Approach 1:
The retention features are pre-configured on the anvil and trocar components, with the lockout assembly designed to engage automatically when the anvil is properly positioned on the trocar. This preliminary configuration ensures secure attachment without requiring complex real-time control mechanisms during the surgical procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The lockout assembly is designed to automatically lock the anvil to the trocar when proper alignment is achieved, without requiring additional actuators or complex control systems. The mechanical features self-engage through the natural insertion motion, simplifying the overall device architecture while maintaining reliability.
2Ease of operation
If audible, tactile, and visual feedback mechanisms are added for proper alignment, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lockout assembly incorporates audible, tactile, and visual feedback mechanisms that activate when the anvil is properly aligned with the trocar. This multi-sensory feedback system guides the operator through the attachment process, ensuring correct positioning without requiring complex electronic control systems or multiple separate indicators.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple feedback mechanisms (audible, tactile, visual) are integrated into a single lockout assembly structure, combining several functions into one component. This merging approach provides comprehensive operational guidance while minimizing the overall device complexity compared to using separate independent feedback systems.
3Manufacturing precision
If independent actuation of closure, stapling, and cutting functions is implemented, then the precision of tissue stapling and cutting is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument is divided into distinct functional modules with independent actuation mechanisms for closure, stapling, and cutting functions. Each function can be controlled separately, allowing precise timing and sequencing of operations while maintaining modular architecture that manages overall device complexity through functional separation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical instrument includes a body assembly, a shaft assembly extending distally from the body assembly, an anvil, and a stapling head assembly. The stapling head assembly includes at least one annular array of staples, a staple driver, and a trocar. The trocar includes a shaft defining a longitudinal axis, an actuating feature coupled with a motor unit, and at least one coupling feature. The motor unit is configured to actuate the actuating feature to move the at least one coupling feature of the trocar in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft between a contracted position and an expanded position. In the contracted position, the shaft of the trocar is configured to move along the longitudinal axis relative to the anvil. In the expanded position, the shaft of the trocar is configured to move together with the anvil along the longitudinal axis.