Articulated End Effector Control for Tortuous Surgical Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical devices face challenges in accessing target sites within the body through tortuous paths with small cross-sectional diameters, leading to increased therapy time and potential patient trauma due to the need for more invasive procedures.
Innovation Solution
A medical device with a shaft and an end effector that can pivot from a parallel orientation to an angled orientation, facilitated by mechanisms such as elongated members, fluid containers, or pivot points, allowing for improved navigation and manipulation of the end effector to grasp and secure tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a rigid surgical device is used to access target sites, then structural stability is maintained, but the ability to navigate tortuous pathways with small cross-sectional diameters is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical device is divided into multiple segments including a shaft, an arm, and an end effector that can move relative to each other. The arm is pivotally connected to the shaft, and the end effector is pivotally connected to the arm, allowing each segment to navigate curves independently while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic articulated structure. The arm can pivot between a first position (aligned with shaft) and a second position (angled relative to shaft), and the end effector can pivot relative to the arm, enabling the device to adapt to tortuous pathways while maintaining stability when positioned.
2Ease of operation
If the end effector is kept in a fixed orientation parallel to the shaft, then device simplicity is maintained, but the ability to grasp and secure tissue effectively is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The end effector is separated from the shaft by introducing an intermediate arm structure. This segmentation allows the end effector to be independently positioned at an angle relative to the shaft, improving tissue access and grasping capability without requiring the entire device to be complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The end effector is made dynamically positionable through pivotal connections. It can pivot relative to the arm between different orientations, allowing the operator to optimize the end effector's angle for effective tissue grasping and securing while maintaining a simpler overall device structure when not in use.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device includes a shaft including a longitudinal axis, an end effector connected to a distal end of the shaft to move from a first orientation, where a longitudinal axis of the end effector is approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, to a second orientation, where an angle is formed between the longitudinal axis of the end effector and the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and an elongated member attached to a proximal end of the end effector, wherein manipulation of the elongated member moves the end effector between the first orientation and the second orientation.