Disposable Jaw Housing for Surgical Forceps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical forceps lack efficient and cost-effective solutions for replacing disposable components while maintaining the ability to perform precise tissue sealing and cutting, which is essential for various surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a forceps with moveable jaw members featuring a disposable jaw housing with a knife assembly and a seal plate, allowing for the knife blade to extend for cutting, and includes a mechanism for electrosurgical energy application, with components that are sterilizable for reuse and easily replaceable after a single use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical forceps use completely disposable instruments, then reliability and sterility are improved, but cost increases and waste is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The forceps is divided into disposable components (jaw members with cutting edges) and reusable components (shaft members, handles, actuation mechanisms). This segmentation allows the critical sterile components to be discarded while reusing the non-critical structural components, reducing waste while maintaining sterility requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The jaw members containing the cutting edges and tissue-contact surfaces are designed as disposable components that are discarded after single use to ensure sterility and reliability, while the more expensive shaft members are designed for reuse, optimizing the balance between cost and sterility requirements.
2Loss of substance
If surgical forceps use reusable instruments, then cost is reduced, but the ability to maintain sterility and consistent performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the forceps into reusable shaft members and disposable jaw members, the system maintains sterility through disposable components while reducing overall cost by reusing the expensive structural components across multiple procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable jaw members are used once to guarantee sterility and consistent cutting performance, while the reusable shaft members provide cost savings through multiple uses, achieving both cost reduction and sterility maintenance.
3Manufacturing precision
If the knife blade is fixed in the jaw housing, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability and ease of replacement deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The knife assembly is segmented as a separate replaceable component within the disposable jaw housing. This allows the blade to be precisely manufactured and positioned in the housing, while the entire jaw housing assembly can be easily replaced on the reusable shaft, balancing manufacturing precision with adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a fixed blade design to a dynamic replaceable jaw housing design, where the blade position is fixed during manufacturing for precision, but the entire jaw housing can be dynamically replaced to adapt to different surgical needs or blade wear.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the forceps incorporate both cutting and sealing functions, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting function (knife blade) and sealing function (electrosurgical elements) are merged into a single integrated jaw housing assembly. This allows both functions to be performed by one disposable component, enhancing versatility while keeping the overall structure manageable through the reusable/disposable segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
By placing both cutting and sealing functions in the disposable jaw housing rather than distributing them across multiple reusable components, the system achieves functional versatility while containing complexity in a single replaceable unit that can be easily discarded after use.
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 solution enables precise tissue sealing and cutting while reducing equipment costs by allowing for the reuse of sterilizable components and the efficient replacement of disposable parts, enhancing the versatility and cost-effectiveness of surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
A resilient member disposed within the jaw housing engages the knife blade and biases the knife blade toward the initial position
Implementation Method 2
Electrosurgical forceps utilize both mechanical clamping action and electrical energy to affect hemostasis by heating tissue and blood vessels to coagulate and/or cauterize tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A forceps includes first and second shaft members each having a jaw member disposed at a distal end thereof. One (or both) of the first and second jaw members is moveable relative to the other between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position for grasping tissue therebetween. The first jaw member includes a jaw frame fixedly engaged to the first shaft member and a disposable jaw housing releasably engageable with the jaw frame. The disposable jaw housing includes a knife assembly disposed therein. The knife assembly includes a knife blade biased toward an initial position, wherein the knife blade is disposed within the jaw housing. The knife blade is moveable between the initial position and an extended position, wherein the knife blade extends at least partially from the jaw housing to cut tissue grasped between the first and second jaw members.