Cable-Driven Surgical Stapler Reloads for 90-Degree Articulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical stapling apparatus with increased articulation angles face challenges of higher firing forces, limiting flexibility and ease of use in procedures like low anterior resection (LAR).
Innovation Solution
The use of cable-driven drive beams in surgical stapling apparatus allows for end effectors to articulate up to 90 degrees without increasing the firing force required, utilizing a firing cable and retraction cable to move the drive beam through the end effector.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the articulation angle of the end effector is increased to provide more flexibility, then the flexibility and ease of use in surgical procedures is improved, but the firing force required to advance the drive beam and sled increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional rod-driven mechanical system with a cable-driven system. The cable-driven drive beam uses flexible cables routed through pulleys to transmit firing forces, substituting the rigid rod mechanism. This substitution allows the end effector to articulate at higher angles (up to 90 degrees) without proportionally increasing the firing force, as the cable system can accommodate angular changes more efficiently than rigid mechanical linkages.
2Device complexity
If a rod-driven drive beam system is used to advance the sled through the end effector, then the structure is simple, but the maximum articulation angle is limited to 45 degrees
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the rod-driven mechanism with a cable-driven mechanism. The drive beam is advanced by cables that are routed through pulleys and channels, replacing the direct rod-driven approach. This cable-driven system achieves the same function of advancing the sled while enabling greater articulation angles, as the flexible cables can accommodate the angular movements better than rigid rods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces pulleys as intermediary elements to redirect the cable forces. The pulleys act as mediators that transfer the firing force from the cable to the drive beam while accommodating the angular orientation of the end effector. This intermediary mechanism allows the system to achieve high articulation angles without requiring complex direct-drive mechanisms.
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 increased articulation of the end effector up to 90 degrees while maintaining consistent firing force, enhancing surgical procedure flexibility and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
The drive beam and the carriage are coupled together by a firing cable and a retraction cable that move the drive beam through the end effector as the carriage moves through the shaft assembly
Implementation Method 2
The firing cable may be directed around a first pulley supported on a proximal end portion of the shaft assembly and a second pulley supported on a distal end portion of the end effector
Data Source
AI summary
A reload for a surgical stapling apparatus includes a shaft assembly and an end effector secured to the shaft assembly. The end effector includes an anvil assembly, a cartridge assembly, and a firing assembly including a drive beam and a carriage, the drive beam and the carriage coupled together by a firing cable and a retraction cable that move the drive beam through the end effector as the carriage moves through the shaft assembly.