Coaxial Electrosurgical Cable With Integrated Optical Fiber
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrosurgical instrument cables face challenges in conveying radiofrequency and microwave radiation while also accommodating additional supplies like gas or liquid feeds, often requiring bulky additional structures that complicate their design and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A cable assembly featuring a coaxial structure with an inner conductive layer, a dielectric layer, and an outer conductive layer, integrated with an optical fiber for transmitting electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectra, allowing for the simultaneous transmission of radiofrequency/microwave energy and additional energy forms within reduced dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional tubes and structures are provided alongside the conventional cable to accommodate pull-wires and other components, then the electrosurgical instrument can provide additional supplies and components, but the cable assembly dimensions increase and design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the coaxial cable and pull-wire housing into a single integrated cable assembly. The inner conductor of the coaxial cable serves dual purposes: as an electrical conductor and as a structural support for housing the pull-wire within its insulation layer. This merging of functions allows the cable to provide both RF energy transmission and mechanical manipulation capabilities without requiring separate adjacent tubes, thereby reducing overall cable dimensions while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The coaxial cable's inner conductor is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: electrical signal transmission, structural support for the pull-wire housing, and mechanical strength provision. By making the inner conductor multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for separate dedicated structures for each function, thus reducing the overall volume and complexity of the cable assembly while enhancing its adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional tubes and structures are provided alongside the conventional cable to accommodate pull-wires and other components, then the electrosurgical instrument can provide additional supplies and components, but the design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coaxial cable structure with the pull-wire housing into a single integrated assembly. The inner conductor's insulation layer serves as the housing for the pull-wire, eliminating the need for separate adjacent tubes and reducing structural complexity. This integration simplifies the overall design while maintaining the ability to provide additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner conductor is designed as a multi-functional element that simultaneously provides electrical conduction, structural support, and housing for the pull-wire. This universal design approach reduces the number of separate components needed, thereby simplifying the overall device complexity while enhancing versatility.
3Use of energy by moving object
If a conventional coaxial cable structure is used, then radiofrequency and microwave energy can be conveyed efficiently, but the cable cannot transmit optical energy in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectra
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cable assembly into functionally independent sections: the coaxial cable portion for RF/microwave transmission and the optical fiber portion for optical energy transmission. Each segment is optimized for its specific function, allowing the overall assembly to handle multiple types of energy transmission simultaneously without compromising the performance of either function.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical fiber is positioned within the inner conductor's insulation layer, nesting it within the existing coaxial cable structure. This nesting arrangement allows the optical fiber to be integrated into the cable assembly without disrupting the RF/microwave transmission path, thereby adding optical energy transmission capability while maintaining the original function.
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 enables efficient transmission of radiofrequency and microwave energy while providing a compact, versatile solution for electrosurgical instruments, enhancing their functionality and usability in minimally invasive procedures by integrating optical energy delivery.
Implementation Method 1
an optical fibre configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet spectrum, the visible spectrum, and/or in the infrared spectrum
Implementation Method 2
The inner conductive layer, the dielectric layer, and the outer conductive layer form a coaxial cable providing a transmission line for conveying radiofrequency and/or microwave radiation
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a cable assembly for an electrosurgical instrument, comprising an inner conductive layer, an outer conductive layer arranged coaxially with the inner conductive layer, a dielectric layer separating the inner conductive layer and the outer conductive layer, and an optical fibre for transmitting electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet spectrum, the visible spectrum, and/or in the infrared spectrum; wherein the inner conductive layer, the dielectric layer, and the outer conductive layer form a coaxial cable providing a transmission line for conveying radiofrequency and/or microwave radiation, wherein the inner conductive layer surrounds the optical fibre, and wherein the inner conductive layer and the optical fibre are bonded to each other.