Articulating Rongeur Head with Dual-Joint Pivoting Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical instruments, such as rongeurs, face limitations in accessing and removing tissue in confined or hard-to-reach areas due to fixed offset angles and lack of articulation, requiring multiple instruments for different surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
An articulating surgical instrument with a mechanism allowing the surgical implement head to pivot 90° to 180° relative to its longitudinal axis, enabling adjustable angular positions for enhanced maneuverability and access to restricted areas, featuring a dual-joint system for articulation and a pulley mechanism for jaw operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed offset angle is used in traditional rongeurs, then the instrument can access certain tissue areas, but it cannot access tissue in confined or hard-to-reach areas with different angles
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical implement head is made dynamically adjustable through a second joint that allows pivoting between 0° and 180° relative to the longitudinal axis. This dynamic positioning capability enables the head to adapt to various surgical angles and confined spaces, resolving the contradiction between fixed geometry and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument is divided into segmented components: an elongate body, a surgical implement head, and a second joint connecting them. This segmentation allows independent movement and positioning of the head relative to the body, enabling access to difficult-to-reach areas while maintaining a relatively simple overall instrument structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple instruments with different offset angles are used to access various tissue areas, then comprehensive access is achieved, but the number of instruments and procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical implement head is designed with multi-functionality, capable of performing both cutting and gripping operations. Combined with the articulating second joint that provides 0° to 180° pivoting, a single instrument can access various tissue areas and perform multiple functions, eliminating the need for multiple specialized instruments.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic articulation capability allows one instrument to replace multiple fixed-angle instruments. The second joint enables the head to pivot to different angles during surgery, providing the versatility of multiple instruments while simplifying the overall procedure by reducing the number of instrument changes needed.
3Ease of operation
If the surgical implement head is made articulating with a second joint, then access to restricted areas is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The articulation mechanism is implemented as a distinct second joint segment connecting the elongate body to the surgical implement head. This segmented approach isolates the complexity to a specific component while maintaining simplicity in other parts of the instrument, improving maneuverability without excessively complicating the overall device.
Solution Approach 2:
The second joint provides controlled dynamic movement between 0° and 180°, enabling the surgical implement head to articulate and reach restricted areas. This targeted dynamic capability improves ease of operation in confined spaces while maintaining reasonable device complexity through defined motion limits and a focused articulation mechanism.
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
Enables precise and versatile tissue removal in tight spaces, reducing the need for multiple instruments and improving access during procedures like Total Nucleus Removal, suitable for various surgical applications including ENT, neurosurgery, and heart surgery.
Implementation Method 1
The mechanism for opening and closing the surgical implement jaws may include a pulley, and in particular the axis of rotation of the pulley is substantially coincident with the axis of rotation of the second joint
Implementation Method 2
a second joint on the distal end of the elongate body for changing the angle of the surgical implement head relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate body
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5
AI summary
An articulating surgical implement (1) comprising: an elongate body (2) having a proximal end (4) and a distal end (5) and a longitudinal axis (6); a grip (7) on the proximal end for holding the surgical implement; a surgical implement head (8) formed on the distal end of the elongate body, and having surgical implement jaws (10, 11), the surgical implement head having a first joint (13) that allows the surgical implement jaws to move relative to each other to open and close for gripping or cutting; a second joint (12) on the distal end of the elongate body for changing the angle of the surgical implement head relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate body; a mechanism comprising a control lever (35), a control rod (39) and a linkage arm (40) for changing the angle of the surgical implement head relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate body through an angular range of movement by pivoting about an axis of rotation of the second joint; and a mechanism comprising a pulley wheel (50) and a push/pull wire (51) for opening and closing the surgical implement jaws. The surgical implement head may be a rongeur and is operable at 90 degrees to the elongate body in either an upbite or downbite position. It has an angular range of movement of 180 degrees. A desired angle of the surgical implement head is selected by a user, for example for tissue removal from a target site.