Dual-Button Latch Release for Sterile Surgical Instrument Coupling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In minimally invasive surgical procedures, maintaining a sterile environment is challenging due to the need to frequently attach and detach surgical instruments from teleoperated actuators, which often requires sterilization methods that damage motor, sensor, and electrical components, and limited instrument holders lead to contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
A sterile drape system with an instrument sterile adapter (ISA) and latch mechanism that securely attaches and detaches surgical instruments from teleoperated actuators, ensuring a sterile coupling point and facilitating quick instrument exchanges while preventing contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sterilization methods (steam, heat, pressure, chemicals) are used on teleoperated actuators, then complete sterilization is achieved, but the motors, sensors, encoders and electrical connections are damaged or destroyed
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two distinct segments: a sterile surgical instrument that can withstand sterilization and a non-sterile teleoperated actuator that remains protected. The sterile adapter acts as an interface barrier between these segments, allowing the instrument to be sterilized without exposing the actuator to damaging sterilization agents.
Solution Approach 2:
A sterile adapter serves as an intermediary component between the surgical instrument and the teleoperated actuator. This adapter creates a sterile barrier that allows mechanical coupling and force transmission while preventing contamination transfer, enabling the instrument side to be sterilized separately from the actuator side.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple surgical instruments are frequently attached and detached from the same instrument holder, then instrument versatility is improved, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sterile adapter is pre-attached to the teleoperated actuator before surgical procedures begin and maintains the sterile barrier throughout the procedure. This preliminary establishment of the sterile interface allows multiple instruments to be exchanged without breaching the sterile field, as the adapter remains in place as a continuous barrier.
3Ease of operation
If the latch arm structure is made flexible to enable engagement, then ease of operation is improved, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The latch arm is designed with dynamic characteristics - flexible enough to deform during engagement to accommodate misalignment and enable easy coupling, yet structured to maintain stability when engaged. The flexibility is localized to specific portions of the latch arm that undergo controlled deformation during the latching process.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument includes a proximal control mechanism having an instrument control surface. The instrument control surface has two openings through which two resilient latch arms can be inserted to engage a fixed latch structure contained within the proximal control mechanism. The fixed latch structure provides two lead-in ramps that force the resilient latch arms onto locking surfaces. The resilient latch arms are contained entirely within the proximal control mechanism when engaged. Inward forces can be applied to two buttons to apply an outward force on the resilient latch arms and release them from the locking surfaces of the fixed latch structure. Each of the two buttons is accessible from one of two opposite outside surfaces of the proximal control mechanism.