Clip Advancer Mechanism with Alignment and Overload Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical clip appliers face challenges with complex mechanical designs, high costs, and inability to handle overloads, particularly when dealing with large vessels or foreign objects, due to the need for precise timing and coordinated movement of components.
Innovation Solution
A surgical clip applier with a trigger mechanism that includes a feeder shoe and feed bar system to advance and form clips, featuring a tang and detent mechanism to prevent accidental clip projection and an overload mechanism to manage excessive forces, ensuring safe and effective clip application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a spring-loaded clip advancing assembly is used to advance clips through the shaft, then clip advancement is achieved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for mechanisms to prevent accidental projection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the spring-loaded advancing assembly from the overall device, allowing it to be a separate, replaceable component. This simplifies the main device structure while maintaining the clip advancement function, and the spring mechanism can be independently manufactured and replaced without affecting other components.
Solution Approach 2:
The clip is pre-loaded into the shaft with the advancing assembly before use. The spring is pre-compressed to store the energy needed for advancement. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex real-time control mechanisms during the actual clipping operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If precise timing and coordinated movement of components are required, then clip formation is achieved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The jaws are designed to automatically grasp and position the clip as it advances through the shaft. The clip's own geometry and the jaw's shape work together to achieve proper alignment and formation without requiring additional actuators or control systems. The mechanism uses the natural movement of components to achieve coordinated action.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the clip advancement function and the clip formation function into a single integrated action. As the spring-loaded assembly pushes the clip forward, the jaws simultaneously close to form the clip, eliminating the need for separate timing-controlled stages.
3Reliability
If full closure of the jaws is required, then complete ligation is achieved, but overload occurs when the vessel is too large or a foreign object is present
Solution Approach 1:
The jaws are designed to apply sufficient closing force to achieve complete ligation of normal vessels, but the system allows for partial closure when encountering oversized vessels or foreign objects. The overload mechanism permits the jaws to stop before full closure, preventing damage while still achieving adequate ligation for appropriate targets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates an overload protection mechanism that acts as a cushion before full closure occurs. This mechanism absorbs excess force that would otherwise damage the device or tissue, allowing the jaws to safely attempt full closure without risking catastrophic failure when encountering inappropriate targets.
4Ease of operation
If a complex mechanical design is used to achieve precise timing, then coordinated component movement is achieved, but the cost of the clip applier increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a design where the clip shaft and advancing assembly can be manufactured as disposable or low-cost components. The spring-loaded mechanism uses simple, easily manufactured parts that can be produced economically at high volumes, reducing the overall device cost while maintaining reliable coordinated movement through straightforward mechanical design.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical clip applier and methods for applying surgical clips to a vessel, duct, shunt, etc., during a surgical procedure are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical clip applier is provided having a housing with a trigger movably coupled thereto and a shaft extending therefrom with opposed jaws formed on a distal end thereof. The trigger is adapted to advance a clip to position the clip between the jaws, and to move the jaws from an open position to a closed position to crimp the clip positioned therebetween. The surgical clip applier can include a variety of features to facilitate use of the device, including features to align a clip with the jaws, features to prevent unintentional migration of a clip, and features to prevent clip fallout during formation.