Chip Assembly Fluid-Tight Seal for Surgical Staplers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical staplers with chip assemblies are prone to malfunction due to fluid exposure, which can cause short-circuiting and render the device inoperable, especially when used in environments like body cavities where fluids are present.
Innovation Solution
A chip assembly with a housing and plug configuration that includes a seal member to create a fluid-tight connection, using a 1-Wire Chip or EPROM chip secured to contact members, ensuring the chip and connections remain protected from fluids during procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the chip and connections are exposed for easy access during surgical procedures, then ease of operation is improved, but fluid exposure causes short-circuiting and device malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The chip assembly is nested within a housing that contains a cavity, with the chip and connections housed inside this protective enclosure. The plug assembly with seal member creates a fluid-tight barrier, effectively nesting the vulnerable electronic components within multiple protective layers (housing cavity + seal member + plug assembly) that prevent fluid access while maintaining operational integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member acts as an intermediary element between the external fluid environment and the internal chip connections. This seal member selectively engages with the base member to create a fluid-tight barrier, mediating the interaction between the chip assembly and the surgical environment, allowing electrical functionality while blocking harmful fluid exposure.
2Reliability
If the chip assembly is sealed to prevent fluid exposure, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sealing components
Solution Approach 1:
The seal member is implemented as a flexible sealing element that can be frictionally received within the base member. This flexible seal creates an effective fluid barrier without requiring complex rigid sealing mechanisms, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability through the use of elastomeric or polymer-based sealing materials that conform to the housing cavity.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug assembly combines multiple functions into a single integrated component: it provides structural closure to the housing cavity, incorporates the seal member for fluid protection, and includes contact members for electrical connectivity. By merging these functions into one assembly, the patent reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall device architecture while achieving reliable fluid protection.
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 solution effectively prevents fluid exposure to the chip and connections, maintaining the surgical stapler's functionality even in wet environments by ensuring a secure, fluid-tight seal, thus reducing user errors and extending device usability.
Implementation Method 1
The seal member is configured to be frictionally received within the base member to secure the plug assembly to the housing assembly in a fluid tight manner
Data Source
AI summary
An improved chip assembly for use in a stapling device includes a housing assembly receivable within a reload assembly. The housing assembly includes a base member defining a cavity and an identification assembly received within the cavity. The chip assembly further includes a plug assembly configured to selectively engage the base member. The plug assembly includes a housing, a wire extending from the housing, a seal member disposed within and extending from a distal end of the housing, and first and second contact members extending through the seal member and from the housing. The seal member is configured to be frictionally received within the base member to secure the plug assembly to the housing assembly in a fluid tight manner.