Curved Flex-Wrap Blade Sealing for Stable Surgical Suction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Surgical cutting devices with flexible portions often experience loss of suction due to gaps in the flexible wrap material, leading to inefficient cutting and potential device failure when aspirating cut tissue.

Innovation Solution

A surgical cutting device with a sealed flexible wrap portion, featuring a liner and a locking feature to maintain suction during use, allowing the flexible portion to bend around curved paths while maintaining suction and preventing device clogging.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a flexible wrap material is used to allow the device to bend around curved paths, then the device can navigate curved lumens, but gaps in the flexible wrap material cause suction loss and device failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to bend around curved pathsVSAvoidsuction loss and device failure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies a flexible membrane or thin film material to create a sealed flexible portion that can bend around curved paths while maintaining suction. The flexible membrane is configured to seal against the inner member, preventing gaps that would cause suction loss, thus resolving the contradiction between flexibility and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Adaptability or versatility

If the flexible portion is made more flexible to navigate tighter curves, then the device can access more difficult pathways, but the sealing effectiveness may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility to navigate curved pathsVSAvoidsealing effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs composite material construction where the flexible portion combines flexible wrap material with a flexible membrane or thin film. This composite structure maintains sealing effectiveness while providing the necessary flexibility to navigate curved lumens, addressing the contradiction between flexibility and sealing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If a liner is added to seal the flexible portion, then suction is maintained, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuction maintenanceVSAvoidnumber of components

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the sealing function with the flexible portion itself by integrating a flexible membrane or thin film directly into the flexible wrap structure. This consolidation maintains suction effectiveness while reducing overall device complexity by eliminating separate liner components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11723638B2Curved blade flex wrap with seal lining

Publication Date: 2023.08.15 GYRUS ACMI INC

AI summary

A surgical device for cutting bone or tissue in a patient can include a cutting blade having a rigid portion, a flexible portion, and a liner to provide a seal to the flexible portion. The blade has an outer member and an inner member disposed within a lumen of the outer member. The inner member has a rigid portion and a flexible portion. The liner can be disposed within a lumen of the inner member and can engage the rigid portion such as to retain the liner adjacent to the flexible portion of the inner member.