Dual-Irrigating Bipolar Forceps With Flat Nozzles for Clear Tip Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bipolar electrosurgical forceps with irrigation features suffer from tube obstructions that hinder surgical vision and tip closure, tube projections that interfere with tissue grasping, and added weight at the distal ends, leading to potential tissue damage and discomfort for surgeons.
Innovation Solution
The forceps are designed with flat nozzles on the distal ends of each arm for irrigation, secured by adhesive to reduce visual obstruction and interference, and angled supply tubes to minimize weight influence, using biocompatible metals and non-conductive plastics to enhance non-sticking and reduce manufacturing costs, making them disposable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a single tube with large diameter is used to supply sufficient irrigating liquid, then the irrigation effectiveness is improved, but the tube obstructs the surgeon's vision and interferes with tip closure
Solution Approach 1:
The single large-diameter irrigation tube is divided into multiple smaller-diameter tubes. This segmentation allows sufficient irrigating liquid to be supplied through several smaller channels that do not obstruct the surgeon's vision or interfere with the forceps tips closing together, thereby resolving the contradiction between irrigation effectiveness and ease of operation.
2Reliability
If heat shrink wrap is used to attach the irrigation tube to the forceps arm, then the attachment is secure, but projecting ridges are created that may engage with and damage soft tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shrink wrap and its associated projecting ridges are removed from the design. Instead, the irrigation tube is attached using an alternative method (such as adhesive or mechanical attachment) that does not create external ridges, thereby maintaining secure attachment while eliminating the harmful effect of tissue engagement and potential damage.
3Ease of manufacture
If the irrigation tube and electrical conductor cords project outwardly from the proximal ends in alignment with the forceps arms, then the connection is simplified, but added weight at the distal ends reduces surgeon comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The irrigation tube and electrical conductor cords are routed at angles relative to the forceps arms rather than projecting outward in alignment. This angular arrangement redistributes the weight along different vectors, reducing the concentration of weight at the distal ends and improving surgeon comfort while maintaining connection simplicity through alternative routing paths.
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 design ensures effective tissue irrigation without obstructing surgical vision or tip closure, reduces tissue sticking, and minimizes weight-related discomfort, enabling cost-effective single-use bipolar electrosurgical forceps.
Implementation Method 1
secured by adhesive to reduce visual obstruction and interference
Implementation Method 2
deliver an irrigating liquid to the forceps tips where the liquid functions as a barrier to tissue sticking to the forceps tips
Implementation Method 3
Current passing through the forceps tips and the body tissue heats the forceps tips and the body tissue held between the tips and causes the tissue to be joined or coagulated
Implementation Method 4
heats the forceps tips and the body tissue held between the tips and causes the tissue to be joined or coagulated
Data Source
AI summary
Bipolar electrosurgical forceps are provided with dual irrigating tubes that deliver irrigating liquid to the opposed surfaces of the tips of the forceps to prevent the sticking of body tissue to the tips. To reduce the manufacturing costs of the forceps and enable the forceps to be single use, disposable forceps, each tube of the dual irrigating tools is a plastic tube adhered along one of the opposing surfaces of the pair of forceps arms. Each tube also has a flat nozzle at the distal end of the tube that disburses irrigating liquid across the opposed surfaces of the forceps arm distal and tips.