Articulatable End Effector Single-Handed Control Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing minimally invasive surgical instruments with articulating end effectors require complex control mechanisms, often necessitating the use of both hands to articulate and rotate the end effector, which can be cumbersome, especially in precise vascular operations where single-handed control is desirable.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument design featuring a shaft with a pivotally coupled end effector and an articulation assembly that includes a nozzle assembly with movable segments, allowing for selective articulation motions through the movement of nozzle segments, enabling single-handed control of both articulation and rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a complex control mechanism with multiple control members is used to articulate and rotate the end effector, then the end effector can be precisely positioned and oriented, but the ease of operation deteriorates because both hands are required to control the instrument
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the articulation control and rotation control functions into a single integrated control member. The articulation control member is configured to simultaneously control both articulation motion (about a first axis) and rotation motion (about a second axis) when actuated by a single hand, eliminating the need for separate control mechanisms for each degree of freedom.
Solution Approach 2:
The single control member serves multiple functions: it controls articulation of the end effector relative to the shaft, controls rotation of the end effector about its longitudinal axis, and can be actuated by a single hand. This multi-functional design allows one control element to perform what previously required multiple specialized controls.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an articulation joint is placed in the elongate shaft to enable end effector articulation, then the end effector can be positioned at multiple angles, but the device complexity increases due to the need for integration with end effector operating mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The control member is divided into multiple segments: a proximal segment, an intermediate segment, and a distal segment. The articulation control member includes a proximal articulation control member and a distal articulation control member that can be independently positioned along the shaft. This segmentation allows the complex articulation and rotation control functions to be distributed across multiple manageable components rather than requiring a single complex integrated mechanism.
Data Source
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AI summary
Hand-held surgical instruments that have and end effector attached to an elongate shaft are disclosed. The end effector is articulatable and rotatable relative to the shaft by a nozzle arrangement supported by a handle from which the elongate shaft extends. In various embodiments, the nozzle is operable by the same hand that is used to support the handle.