Deployable Arm Cannula for Stable Surgical Site Anchoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cannulas for endoscopic surgery often dislodge during procedures, especially in unstable or thin capsular tissue, leading to cavity collapse and increased surgical complications due to fluid absorption and tissue softening.
Innovation Solution
A cannula system with deployable arms that can be easily assembled and inserted, featuring a telescopic inner member to hold the arms in place, ensuring stability during surgery and easy removal post-procedure, utilizing a trocar or inner cannula to deploy arms from a closed to an open position for secure positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional cannula is used for endoscopic surgery, then the surgical procedure can be performed, but the cannula may dislodge during manipulation or exchange of instruments, leading to cavity collapse and surgical interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula incorporates arms that can dynamically change position between a closed configuration during insertion and an open configuration during surgery. This dynamic transformation allows the cannula to adapt to different operational phases, providing stability when needed while facilitating instrument manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula is divided into separate functional components including the outer cannula, inner cannula, and deployable arms. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, with the arms providing stabilization while the telescopic inner member facilitates instrument exchange.
2Reliability
If the cannula is secured to prevent dislodgment, then stability is improved, but the cannula becomes more complex with additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula employs a nested structure where the inner cannula is telescoped within the outer cannula, and the arms are folded against the outer cannula during insertion. This nesting principle allows multiple functional elements to be compacted into a simple insertion profile, reducing apparent complexity while maintaining advanced functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The arms are designed to be self-deploying through the telescopic action of the inner cannula. As the inner cannula is advanced, it automatically triggers the arms to unfold and engage with the tissue, eliminating the need for separate actuation mechanisms or complex control systems.
3Productivity
If the cannula remains in place throughout surgery, then surgical interruptions are reduced, but tissue swelling from fluid absorption makes reinsertion difficult if dislodgment occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula is inserted and secured with deployed arms before any surgical instruments are introduced or fluid is instilled. This preliminary establishment of stable anchoring prevents dislodgment during subsequent surgical activities, maintaining surgical continuity without exposing tissue to swelling risks first.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device suitable for introducing a medical instrument into a patient includes an outer cannula and at least one arm connected to the cannula toward a proximal portion of the at least one arm. The at least one arm is deployable between a closed position and an open position. An inner member is telescopically received in the outer cannula to hold each arm in the closed position. The inner member is deployable to disengage from the arm after the device is inserted into a patient, thereby freeing the arm to be deployed to the open position where it helps hold the outer cannula in the patient. The inner member includes an inner cannula and/or a trocar.