Beveled Cutting Element for Robotic Surgical Tissue Severance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical instruments, particularly electrosurgical forceps, face challenges in effectively cutting treated tissue due to the limitations of traditional cutting elements, which often result in inefficient tissue severance.
Innovation Solution
The design of an end effector assembly with jaw members that include a cutting element with beveled edges and a distal fin, configured to reciprocate through a channel between the jaw members, enhancing the cutting efficiency by providing a sharpened edge and a thinned portion for precise tissue cutting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional cutting elements are used in electrosurgical forceps, then the device structure remains simple, but the cutting efficiency and tissue severance effectiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting element incorporates beveled edges at specific locations (distal and proximal ends) to create localized sharp cutting surfaces. This applies the local quality principle by concentrating the cutting function at specific geometric features rather than requiring the entire element to be complex, thereby improving cutting efficiency without proportionally increasing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting element is designed to reciprocate between the jaw members rather than remaining stationary. This dynamic motion allows the beveled edges to actively engage and sever tissue during the reciprocating movement, enhancing cutting efficiency while maintaining a relatively simple structural design compared to stationary complex cutting mechanisms
2Manufacturing precision
If a cutting element with beveled edges and distal fin is implemented, then tissue cutting precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting element incorporates beveled edges that create angled, curved surfaces at the distal and proximal ends. These beveled geometries provide precise cutting action through their angled surfaces while being manufacturable using standard machining or forming processes, balancing cutting precision with ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting element geometry is optimized by changing key parameters such as the angle and extent of the beveled edges, and the dimensions of the distal fin. These parameter adjustments allow precise control over cutting performance while maintaining compatibility with conventional manufacturing methods, avoiding overly complex fabrication requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical end effector assembly includes first and second jaw members configured to grasp tissue. At least one of the jaw members defines a channel. A cutting element reciprocates through the channel to cut grasped tissue. The cutting element may include a first bevel defined along a first portion of a distal edge on a first side surface of the cutting element and a second bevel defined along a second portion of the distal edge on a second side surface of the cutting element. The first and second portions of the distal edge are sharpened to facilitate cutting tissue upon distal advancement of the cutting element. Alternatively or additionally, the cutting element may include a proximal body and a distal fin defining a height greater than a height of the proximal body and including a thinned portion defining a depression within a first side surface thereof.