Bi-stable Spring-latch Connector for Ultrasonic Instruments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultrasonic surgical instruments face challenges in maintaining secure and efficient transmission of ultrasonic energy due to the need for reliable engagement between the horn, waveguide body, and blade, particularly in cordless configurations where the power source is integrated, requiring a mechanism that ensures consistent energy transfer while allowing for easy disassembly and sterilization.
Innovation Solution
A bi-stable spring-latch connector with a female end on the horn and a male end on the body, featuring a double helix design that couples and decouples under compression, facilitating secure engagement and disengagement through rotational mechanisms, ensuring consistent energy transmission and easy assembly/disassembly for sterilization purposes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional connector is used to couple the horn and body, then the structure is simple, but the engagement reliability and ultrasonic energy transmission efficiency are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The connector employs a bi-stable mechanism that dynamically transitions between engaged and disengaged states through rotational motion. The spring-loaded design allows the connector to automatically adjust and maintain optimal contact pressure, ensuring reliable ultrasonic energy transmission while enabling easy assembly and disassembly through simple rotational actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is divided into distinct functional components including the spring-loaded body, rotational locking mechanism, and interface elements for the horn and waveguide. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall system reliability without excessive complexity.
2Loss of energy
If the horn and body are tightly coupled for efficient energy transmission, then energy transmission efficiency is improved, but disassembly for sterilization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic bi-stable design allows the connector to maintain tight coupling during operation for efficient energy transmission, then easily transition to a disengaged state for sterilization. The spring mechanism provides sufficient holding force during use but allows controlled release through rotational motion, resolving the contradiction between secure coupling and easy disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded connector acts as an intermediary between the horn and body, providing both secure mechanical coupling for energy transmission and a controlled release mechanism for disassembly. The spring element mediates between the need for tight coupling and the need for easy separation, enabling both requirements to be satisfied.
3Reliability
If a complex locking mechanism is used to ensure secure engagement, then engagement reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bi-stable spring mechanism provides secure engagement through its inherent mechanical stability in the engaged state, eliminating the need for complex multi-component locking systems. The spring-loaded design with rotational actuation achieves reliable coupling through simple, elegant mechanics rather than complex locking arrangements.
Data Source
AI summary
A waveguide configured for use with an ultrasonic instrument includes a horn which engages an ultrasonic transducer to receive ultrasonic energy. A body distally extends from the horn in order to receive ultrasonic energy from the horn. A blade is fixedly engaged to a distal end of the body, and distally extends from the distal end of the body in order to receive ultrasonic energy from the body for treating tissue in contact with the blade. A bi-stable spring-latch connector releasably couples, under compression, the horn and the body, or the body and the blade.