Disposable Valve Assembly for Robotic Surgical Instrument Channel Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic surgical systems have permanently installed working channel seals made from compliant elastomeric materials that are subject to wear and failure due to friction and repeated expansion and contraction from instruments being passed through them.
Innovation Solution
A disposable valve assembly with a cross-slit valve seal and a septum backup seal, designed for easy installation and removal from the instrument channel of a robotic surgical device, utilizing a bayonet-type engagement mechanism for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If permanently installed working channel seals made from compliant elastomeric materials are used, then the seals can maintain continuous sealing function, but they are subject to wear and failure over time from friction and repeated expansion and contraction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a disposable valve assembly with seals that is replaced after each surgical procedure. The valve assembly includes a valve body with a cross-slit valve seal and a backup seal, designed to be discarded after single use. This eliminates wear accumulation and failure risks associated with permanent seals, as each new procedure uses a fresh, unworn sealing system.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve assembly is designed to be discarded after completing its sealing function for a single surgical procedure. The entire assembly including seals is removed and disposed of, preventing wear-related failures from affecting subsequent procedures. This discarding approach resets the seal condition to pristine for each new use.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If permanently installed seals are used in working channels, then the sealing function is maintained throughout the device lifetime, but the seals cannot be replaced without disassembling the entire device
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is segmented from the permanent device structure into a separate, removable valve assembly. The valve assembly can be independently attached to and removed from the working channel connector, allowing the seals to be replaced simply by detaching and reattaching the valve assembly without disassembling the entire robotic surgical device.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve assembly transitions from a static permanent seal to a dynamic removable component. The bayonet-type engagement mechanism enables the valve assembly to be easily attached and detached, transforming the seal system from fixed and non-replaceable to mobile and user-replaceable through simple connector operations.
3Ease of operation
If a disposable valve assembly with bayonet-type engagement mechanism is used, then the valve assembly can be easily installed and removed without tools, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex bayonet-type engagement mechanism is extracted and integrated into the disposable valve assembly rather than the permanent device. This concentrates the mechanical complexity in a single-use component that can be pre-assembled and tested, while the permanent device maintains its original simple connector interface. The complexity is taken out of the permanent system and isolated in the disposable component.
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
The disposable valve assembly effectively seals the instrument channel during surgical procedures, reducing wear and failure, and allows for easy replacement after each procedure, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of robotic surgical systems.
Implementation Method 1
The spring-biased crown is biased distally by a wave spring positioned between the distal end portion of the valve body and the spring-biased crown
Implementation Method 2
The bayonet-type engagement mechanism includes a pair of diametrically opposed locking tabs that extend radially inwardly into the axial bore of the valve body for cooperating with a pair of corresponding engagement slots
Implementation Method 3
The valve seal is a cross-slit valve seal adapted to seal the instrument channel of the robotic surgical device in the absence of an inserted instrument
Data Source
AI summary
A valve assembly is disclosed for sealing an instrument channel of a robotic surgical device, which includes a valve body having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough from a proximal end portion of the valve body to a distal end portion of the valve body, and defining an axial bore including an interior valve chamber formed in the proximal end portion of the valve body, a valve seal situated within the interior valve chamber of the valve body for sealing the instrument channel of the robotic surgical device, and an engagement mechanism operatively associated with the distal end portion of the valve body for detachably connecting the valve assembly to the instrument channel of the robotic surgical device.