Electric Surgical Stapler with Pressure and Stroke Feedback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual surgical staplers require significant user skill and strength for effective tissue compression, leading to inconsistent staple formations and increased surgical risks due to inadequate firing force, and rely on experiential tissue compression determination rather than precise measurement.
Innovation Solution
An electric surgical stapler with a handle, driving motor, control unit, working head, closing mechanism, firing mechanism, closing limit switch, and pressure sensor that ensures adequate tissue compression by transmitting instructions only when both the closing stroke and pressure meet preset standards, preventing excessive or inadequate squeezing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual operation is used for tissue compression and firing, then the device structure remains simple, but the firing force becomes insufficient and inconsistent due to user skill and strength limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical manual firing system with an electric motor-driven system. The driving motor provides consistent and sufficient firing force regardless of user strength, while the control unit ensures reliable operation through electronic control logic that monitors closing stroke and pressure conditions before triggering the firing mechanism.
2Measurement precision
If experiential determination of tissue compression is used, then the operation process remains simple, but the tissue compression precision becomes insufficient leading to inconsistent staple formations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where the pressure sensor continuously monitors tissue compression pressure and the closing limit switch detects closing stroke position. The control unit processes this feedback information and only triggers the firing mechanism when both conditions meet preset standards, ensuring precise and consistent tissue compression for reliable staple formation.
3Reliability
If manual firing is used, then the device structure remains simple, but the surgical risk increases due to inadequate firing force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical firing with an electric motor-driven system that provides sufficient and consistent firing force. The control unit incorporates safety logic that verifies both closing stroke completion and adequate pressure conditions before enabling firing, eliminating the risk of inadequate firing force associated with manual operation.
4Productivity
If electric motor is introduced for automated control, then the firing force becomes sufficient and consistent, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single driving motor that serves multiple functions: it drives both the closing mechanism for tissue compression and the firing mechanism for staple deployment. The control unit coordinates these functions sequentially, enabling one motor to perform what would traditionally require separate mechanical systems, thereby improving productivity while limiting the increase in device complexity.
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
Ensures consistent and stable staple formation regardless of tissue thickness, reducing surgical risks and improving efficiency by automating the stapling process with precise control over tissue compression.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure sensor configured to transmit a pressure value applied to a squeezed tissue during closing to the control unit
Implementation Method 2
a closing limit switch configured to transmit information of a closing stroke of the closing mechanism to the control unit
Implementation Method 3
a driving motor and a control unit for controlling the driving motor to operate
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an electric surgical stapler, including a handle, the handling having a handle body, a driving motor and a control unit for controlling the driving motor to operate; a working head, including an anvil, a cartridge, a closing mechanism, a firing mechanism, a housing for accommodating the closing mechanism and the firing mechanism, a closing limit switch configured to transmit information of a closing stroke of the closing mechanism to the control unit, and a pressure sensor configured to transmit a pressure value applied to a squeezed tissue during closing to the control unit. The control unit is configured to transmit an instruction of controlling the driving motor to drive movement of the firing mechanism, when the closing limit switch is triggered and the pressure value transmitted by the pressure sensor meets a preset standard. By detecting the closing stroke with the closing limit switch and detecting the pressure with the pressure sensor, there is no excessive squeezing or inadequate squeezing, which ensures that the tissue is squeezed adequately regardless of the thickness, and can ensure stable effect of the staple formation.