Articulated Surgical Stapler Shaft for Minimally Invasive Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
In minimally invasive surgery, accessing tissue can be difficult due to anatomical constraints, often requiring additional incisions or instruments, which increases procedure time and expense, and complicates re-localization of the surgical site.
Innovation Solution
An articulated surgical stapler with a flexible or rigid shaft featuring an articulated region and an articulation insert, allowing for controlled bending and rotation to reach target areas without the need for additional incisions, and enabling the end effector to be easily repositioned and re-orientated within the body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If additional incisions are made to access hard-to-reach tissue areas, then access to the surgical site is improved, but the number of incisions increases leading to longer healing time and more scarring
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument incorporates an articulated shaft with multiple degrees of freedom that allows dynamic repositioning and reorienting of the end effector during the procedure. The shaft can bend and rotate to navigate around anatomical structures, enabling access to difficult-to-reach areas through a single incision while maintaining the ability to adapt to different surgical site geometries
Solution Approach 2:
The articulation mechanism adds rotational and bending dimensions to the instrument's movement capability. Instead of requiring linear movement through multiple incisions, the instrument can articulate in multiple planes (e.g., 45 degrees in one direction, then 45 degrees in another direction) to reach the same target tissue through a single access point
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional surgical instruments are obtained to access different tissue areas, then access versatility is improved, but procedure time and expense increase
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument is designed as a multi-functional platform where a single instrument can access multiple tissue areas through its articulated capabilities. The end effector can be repositioned and reoriented to reach different anatomical locations, eliminating the need to exchange between multiple specialized instruments and thereby reducing both procedure time and cost
3Ease of operation
If additional incisions are made to access tissue, then access to the surgical site is improved, but re-localization of the surgical site becomes more difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The articulated shaft incorporates position sensing capabilities that provide feedback about the end effector's orientation and location. This feedback mechanism allows the surgeon to track and re-localize the surgical site more easily by knowing the precise position and orientation of the instrument, eliminating the disorientation that would result from multiple incisions
4Measurement precision
If the shaft is made rigid for precise control, then control precision is improved, but the ability to reach around anatomical structures is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is divided into multiple segmented sections that can articulate relative to each other at defined joints. Each segment maintains structural integrity for precise control, while the articulation points between segments provide the flexibility needed to navigate around anatomical structures. The end effector is positioned at the distal end of this segmented, articulated shaft
5Length of moving object
If the end effector is positioned at the distal end of a long shaft, then access to deep tissue areas is improved, but control and repositioning of the end effector becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The articulated shaft with multiple articulation points provides dynamic control capabilities that allow the surgeon to reposition and reorient the distal end effector by actuating the intermediate joints. This mechanical advantage system allows precise control of the end effector's position and orientation despite the long shaft length, making repositioning easier than it would be with a purely rigid or simple flexible shaft
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary surgical apparatus may include a flexible articulation insert separated into segments, where at least one segment is longitudinally slidable relative to at least one other segment, and where at least one passage is defined longitudinally through the insert; and at least one feeder belt extending through a corresponding passage in the insert, where staples are frangibly connected to the feeder belt.