Automatic Needle Mover for Intersecting Suture Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing needle movers struggle to efficiently move medical needles on suture surfaces that intersect the longitudinal direction of the instrument, particularly in confined spaces like deep brain suturing via the nasal cavity, where space is limited and the suture surface direction is not aligned with the instrument's longitudinal direction.
Innovation Solution
An automatic needle mover with two sliding shafts, a needle holding portion, and a needle-receiving portion, where the needle holding portion has a first claw with a groove that can pivot and the needle-receiving portion has a second claw with a groove that allows the needle to be press-fitted and moved along the suture surface, enabling movement of the needle across intersecting surfaces by sliding and pivoting mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a guide tool with a pair of jaws is used to move a medical needle, then the needle can be delivered to the needle-receiving portion, but it becomes difficult to move the needle when the suture surface extends along a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the guide tool
Solution Approach 1:
The needle holder is designed to be rotatable relative to the handle along the longitudinal direction, allowing dynamic adjustment of the needle holder's orientation. This enables the needle to be moved not only in the longitudinal direction but also in directions intersecting the longitudinal direction of the guide tool, thereby resolving the limitation of fixed-direction needle movement
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a rotational degree of freedom to the needle holder, transitioning from one-dimensional (longitudinal) needle movement to two-dimensional needle movement. By allowing rotation around the longitudinal axis, the needle can now be positioned and moved in multiple directions including those intersecting the longitudinal direction
2Ease of operation
If the needle holding portion and needle-receiving portion are positioned far apart, then control is easier, but the needle cannot be effectively moved in narrow spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The needle holder is nested within or integrated with the handle structure, and the needle-receiving portion is positioned within the handle. This nesting arrangement minimizes the overall space occupied by the device while maintaining functional separation between components, enabling effective needle movement in narrow anatomical spaces
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 automatic needle mover effectively moves medical needles on suture surfaces that intersect the instrument's longitudinal direction, improving work efficiency even in narrow spaces by allowing the needle to pivot and move in both directions relative to the control portion, facilitating suturing in challenging anatomical locations.
Implementation Method 1
a second groove portion provided in the second claw portion and having a width at which the straight needle can be inserted by elasticity of the second claw portion and the straight needle can be held by friction with the straight needle
Implementation Method 2
the straight needle can be held by friction with the straight needle when the straight needle is inserted along the longitudinal direction
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic needle mover for moving a medical threaded needle includes: two shafts extending in the same direction and slidable relative to each other along a longitudinal direction; a needle-holding portion provided on one end side of the second shaft; a needle-receiving portion provided on one end side of the first shaft; and a handle serving as a control portion for controlling the sliding of the two shafts. The needle-holding portion has a first claw portion protruding in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the shafts. The needle-receiving portion has a second claw portion protruding in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the shafts. As a result of the sliding of the two shafts, the needle-holding portion and the needle-receiving portion become close to each other and a straight needle held by the needle-holding portion can be press-fitted into the needle-receiving portion.