Surgical Liquid Applicator Tip Groove Design for Blockage Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid applicators used in laparoscopic surgery, such as those for hernia repair, face issues with blockage due to polymerized material accumulating on or inside the tip, which can render them unusable during procedures.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a discharge tip with arcuate groove formations along its interior bore, which reduces blockage by providing a pathway for adhesive and debris, and is made from low surface energy materials to minimize adhesion, allowing for efficient delivery of curable liquid adhesive.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional smooth-bore tip is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but polymerized material accumulates on the tip causing blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The tip bore is segmented into multiple grooves (typically 3-6 grooves) that divide the internal flow path into separate channels. This segmentation prevents polymerized material from accumulating across the entire bore, as each groove acts as an independent flow path that can be cleared more easily, thereby reducing blockage while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are strategically positioned and dimensioned to create specific flow characteristics in different regions of the tip. The groove depth, width, and spacing are optimized to control adhesive flow patterns, ensuring that polymerized material does not accumulate in critical areas while maintaining effective adhesive delivery. This localized optimization improves blockage resistance without requiring complete redesign of the entire tip structure.
2Reliability
If the tip material has high surface energy, then adhesive flows smoothly, but polymerized material adheres strongly to the tip
Solution Approach 1:
The tip material surface energy is modified by selecting materials with appropriately low surface energy (such as certain polymers or coated surfaces). This parameter change reduces the adhesion strength between polymerized material and the tip surface, preventing buildup and blockage. At the same time, the groove geometry is optimized to maintain sufficient adhesive flow through capillary action and pressure-driven flow, ensuring productivity is not compromised.
3Reliability
If groove formations are added to the tip, then blockage is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The grooves are designed with standardized dimensions and spacing that can be efficiently manufactured using conventional machining or molding techniques. By segmenting the bore into a reasonable number of grooves (3-6) with practical dimensions, the design achieves blockage resistance without requiring excessive manufacturing precision that would be difficult or costly to achieve.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove geometry parameters (depth, width, spacing) are optimized to provide effective blockage resistance while remaining within achievable manufacturing tolerances. The design balances the need for sufficient groove definition to control flow patterns against the practical limitations of manufacturing precision, ensuring that the grooves provide functional benefit without requiring ultra-precise fabrication.
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 groove formations significantly reduce blockage issues, enabling the applicator to deliver the required number of adhesive droplets without interruption, ensuring successful surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
the tip comprises a low surface energy material as such materials serve to minimise adhesion of cured adhesive composition and debris to the tip
Implementation Method 2
the plurality of groove formations are arcuate in transverse cross-section, have a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tip and are formed in an interior wall of a bore extending through the tip to the distal end thereof
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
A liquid applicator (1) for holding and discharging a curable liquid composition, comprises a receiver body (2) for holding a curable liquid composition, a discharge tip (20;30;40) having a longitudinal axis and further having a distal end remote from the receiver body (2) from which the liquid composition is discharged, and a discharge mechanism (5) for transferring liquid composition held by the applicator (1) to the tip (20;30;40) for discharge of the composition. The tip (20;30;40) comprises an outlet section (21d;31d;44d) having at least one groove formation (26;38;48) extending along the tip (20;30;40) to the distal end thereof. The applicator may be a surgical adhesive applicator.