Clear View Cannula with Counter-Pressure Ring for Angular Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cannulas used in minimally invasive surgery lack precise control over the positional relationship of their tubes and often require manual support, limiting their stability and visibility during surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A clear view cannula with flexibly movable shield members and a counter-pressure ring, which includes an advancement mechanism with threads and detents, allowing single-handed control and retention of the cannula's angular position, enhancing visibility and stability by enabling controlled deployment and retraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual forcing is used to deploy the expandable portion, then the cannula can be deployed, but the surgeon cannot determine the exact positional relationship of the tubes during the surgical procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates visual indicators such as colored rings or markings on the cannula tubes that change or become visible when the expandable portion is deployed. This allows the surgeon to visually determine the exact positional relationship of the tubes during the surgical procedure, resolving the contradiction between ease of deployment and precision of position determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary visual indication system between the tubes and the surgeon's observation. This intermediary system (visual indicators, colored markings) translates the internal positional relationship of the tubes into visible information that the surgeon can perceive, enabling precise determination of tube positions without complicating the deployment mechanism.
2Device complexity
If the cannula lacks lateral support, then the structure is simpler, but the cannula cannot be free standing and requires manual support at desired angular positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic expandable portion that can change its configuration from a collapsed state (simpler structure) to an expanded state (provides lateral support). The expandable portion dynamically adapts its structure based on the operational requirements, providing lateral support when needed while maintaining simplicity when retracted, thus resolving the contradiction between structural complexity and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula is segmented into distinct functional portions: a proximal handle portion, a telescopic tube portion, and a distal expandable portion. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently - the handle portion can be simple for easy manipulation, while the expandable portion provides lateral support when deployed, resolving the contradiction between overall device simplicity and operational ease.
3Extent of automation
If the expandable portion is deployed manually, then deployment is achievable, but the cannula lacks controlled deployment and retraction capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service deployment mechanism where the cannula's own structural design enables controlled deployment and retraction without external automated systems. The telescopic tube portion and expandable portion are designed to move relative to each other through mechanical interaction, allowing the surgeon to control deployment and retraction through simple manual manipulation of the handle, thus achieving automation without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula employs a nested structure where the telescopic tube portion is inserted within the handle portion, and the expandable portion is contained within the tube portion. This nesting arrangement enables controlled deployment and retraction through simple axial movement, allowing the inner components to be advanced or retracted as needed without complex external mechanisms, thus achieving deployment control with minimal added complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A clear view cannula is described that includes a first tube, a second tube and a counter-pressure ring. The tubes are concentric, adjoined and define a longitudinally aligned aperture. The cannula has a first position for penetration or removal from a patient and a second position in which a shield structure is deployed within the patient. The ring provides a counter-pressure force that opposes the force applied by the shield structure in the second position and stabilizes the angular position of the cannula in the body of the patient. Detents in the tubes define the first position and the second position of the cannula and limit the travel between the tubes.