Bow-Shaped Electrode Spacing in Electrosurgical Instruments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrosurgical instruments for laparoscopic operations face challenges in maintaining uniform electrode spacing and avoiding tissue damage during thermofusion procedures, leading to inconsistent tissue welding and potential leaks in hollow vessel connections.
Innovation Solution
The design features bow-shaped electrodes with concave curvature to maintain consistent spacing and pressure, reducing the need for multiple spacers and minimizing tissue damage, ensuring parallel alignment and homogeneous current distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple spacers are provided on the clamping jaws to maintain electrode distance, then the distance between electrodes is maintained, but the tissue is perforated by the spacers causing permanent tissue damage
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is designed with a bow-shaped curvature instead of a straight configuration. This curvature allows the electrode to maintain a consistent distance from the opposing electrode across its entire length when the clamping jaws are closed, eliminating the need for multiple spacers that would otherwise be required to maintain electrode spacing. The curved shape naturally compensates for the compression forces applied during tissue clamping.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the contact pressure of the clamping jaws is reduced to avoid tissue perforation, then tissue damage is minimized, but angular deflection of the clamping jaws occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The bow-shaped electrode maintains its curvature under compression forces, allowing the clamping jaws to apply sufficient contact pressure to secure the tissue without causing perforation. The curved design distributes the mechanical stress evenly along the electrode length, preventing angular deflection of the clamping jaws while maintaining stable alignment between opposing electrodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode's geometric parameters are optimized with a specific bow shape that provides the right balance between flexibility to accommodate compression forces and rigidity to maintain electrode spacing. This parameter optimization allows the system to operate at optimal contact pressure without causing tissue damage or jaw deflection.
3Reliability
If spacers are made from electrically non-conductive material to avoid short-circuit, then short-circuit is prevented, but coagulation shade develops and tissue portions are not supplied with electrical current
Solution Approach 1:
The invention eliminates spacers entirely from the design. Instead of using non-conductive spacers that create coagulation shades and prevent proper current flow to the tissue, the bow-shaped electrode geometry itself maintains the necessary electrode spacing. This extraction of the spacer component completely removes the source of coagulation shade problems while preserving short-circuit prevention through the natural curvature of the electrode.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the number of spacers is reduced to minimize tissue damage, then tissue perforation is reduced, but the distance between spacers increases causing non-homogenous penetration of tissue with HF energy
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous bow-shaped curvature of the electrode ensures uniform spacing along the entire electrode length, providing homogeneous distribution of high-frequency energy across the treated tissue area. This eliminates the need for multiple spacers while maintaining consistent energy penetration, as the curved geometry naturally maintains equidistant spacing without creating gaps or concentration points.
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
This configuration ensures reliable and consistent tissue fusion with reduced tissue damage and prevents short-circuits, achieving better control over tissue impedance and sealing quality.
Implementation Method 1
For the purpose of welding the hollow vessel portions, the tissue grasped between two clamping jaws is exposed to electrical current which flows between electrodes provided on the two clamping jaws
Implementation Method 2
Thermofusion by means of high frequency technology (HF) is based on the denaturation of proteins which are contained in many tissue types. This allows to weld collagen-containing tissue. During the welding process, the tissue is heated up to temperatures above the protein denaturation temperature
Implementation Method 3
at least one electrode face portion subjected to deflection in a closed position of the instrument legs is formed to be bow-shaped in the longitudinal direction of the legs and contrary to the bending direction which is to be expected, in particular so as to be concave toward the opposing leg
Data Source
AI summary
An electrosurgical instrument includes mutually movable instrument legs each comprising one or more electrode faces between which tissue can be clamped and treated in electrothermal manner. The movement of the instrument legs relative to each other can be delimited by at least two spacers which are spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the instrument legs and act on the instrument legs. At least one electrode face portion subjected to deflection in a closed position of the instrument legs is formed to be bow-shaped, in particular concave, the curvature being contrary to the bending direction to be expected.