Bariatric Surgical Clamp with Articulating Bight for Stomach Partitioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical clamps for bariatric surgery lack efficient mechanisms for precise partitioning of the stomach with minimal organ injury and easy installation, particularly in navigating through a trochar and accommodating varying organ thicknesses.
Innovation Solution
A surgical clamp with elongated members joined by a bight portion and a clasp mechanism, operated by a surgical clamp installation tool with an articulating head, which includes a T-bar and trigger system for easy engagement and closure, and optional silicone padding for reduced trauma, allowing for adjustable positioning and secure latching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a surgical clamp is designed to partition the stomach with precise positioning, then the partitioning precision is improved, but the device complexity increases due to multiple components and articulation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical clamp is divided into multiple functional segments: elongated members for positioning, a bight portion for articulation, and a clasp mechanism for securing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, achieving precise partitioning while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The bight portion enables dynamic articulation between the proximal and distal ends of the clamp, allowing the device to adapt to varying organ thicknesses and positioning requirements. This dynamic capability provides precise positioning control without requiring multiple fixed-configuration devices
2Reliability
If the clamp includes a clasp mechanism and articulating head for secure closure, then the reliability of closure is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to complex engagement requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The clasp mechanism is designed to engage automatically when the elongated members are brought together, with the male and female components self-aligning through the articulating head. This self-service feature ensures reliable closure without requiring complex manual manipulation or additional fastening steps
3Ease of operation
If the clamp is designed for easy insertion through a trochar, then the ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision may deteriorate due to size constraints and material limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp's elongated members are designed with a telescoping or nested configuration that allows them to be collapsed into a compact form for insertion through the trochar. Once positioned, the members can be extended to their full length, maintaining the required manufacturing precision for partitioning while facilitating easy insertion through the constrained opening
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 partitioning of the stomach with reduced risk of injury, facilitating bariatric surgery by allowing for adjustable angles and lengths of partitioning, and easy insertion and removal through a trochar, while ensuring secure closure and minimal trauma to the organ.
Implementation Method 1
A bight portion joins the two elongated members at a proximal end of the clamp and may bias the two elongated members in an open position
Data Source
AI summary
A method of installing a bariatric clamp onto a stomach of a body including inserting the bariatric clamp into the body through an opening in the body, positioning a first elongated member of the bariatric clamp on a first side of the stomach, and positioning a second elongated member of the bariatric clamp on a second side of the stomach while the bariatric clamp is in an open position, and closing and securing the bariatric clamp into a closed position around the stomach to form a partitioned portion of the stomach with a partition-forming section of the bariatric clamp, and to form a fluid passage within the stomach with a passage-forming portion of the bariatric clamp such that when the bariatric clamp is placed on the stomach in the closed position, the stomach is not fully occluded.