Segmented Endoscopic Drive Shaft and Pivot Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electromechanical surgical devices are expensive to manufacture and operate, and their complex power transmission mechanisms can lead to unintended operation, potentially causing damage or injury due to inadvertent actuation.
Innovation Solution
A surgical stapling instrument with a reload system featuring a staple cartridge assembly and an anvil assembly that includes a flexible bar supported by blowout plates and a support block, allowing for pivotable movement, and a hand-held instrument with a battery-powered drive mechanism and interchangeable adapter assemblies for various end effectors, ensuring safe and efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If complex electromechanical linkages are used to transmit power from handle assemblies to disposable loading units, then the devices can perform sophisticated surgical functions, but the complexity increases the risk of inadvertent actuation and unintended operation
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into a reusable handle assembly and a disposable loading unit that can be independently managed. The drive shaft and power transmission components are contained within the disposable loading unit, which is replaced rather than repaired. This segmentation isolates the complex electromechanical linkages to a single replaceable component, reducing the overall system risk and enabling sophisticated surgical functions while maintaining safety through controlled complexity in a disposable element.
Solution Approach 2:
A drive shaft acts as an intermediary mechanical element that transmits power from the handle assembly to the loading unit's internal mechanisms. This intermediary component provides a controlled interface for power transmission, allowing the complex functions to be delivered through a standardized, manageable connection point that reduces the risk of unintended actuation at multiple interfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If expensive electromechanical surgical devices with complex power transmission mechanisms are manufactured, then advanced surgical capabilities are achieved, but the manufacturing and operational costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the device into expensive reusable handle assemblies and cheaper disposable loading units, the manufacturing cost is distributed strategically. The complex electromechanical components that enable advanced surgical capabilities are concentrated in the handle assembly that is manufactured once and reused, while the disposable loading units use simpler, lower-cost construction that is replaced after single use.
Solution Approach 2:
The loading unit is designed as a disposable component that is discarded after a single use, eliminating the need for expensive sterilization and maintenance infrastructure. This allows the system to provide advanced surgical capabilities through the reusable handle while using cost-effective disposable elements, significantly reducing overall manufacturing and operational costs compared to making the entire device reusable and sterilizable.
3Strength
If the bar and support structures are made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then the drive mechanism remains stable, but the ability to pivot from central to off-center positions is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The support block is designed with a curved slot that allows the bar to dynamically transition from a central position to an off-center position during operation. This dynamic configuration enables the drive mechanism to adapt its geometry for different surgical tasks while the bar itself maintains sufficient rigidity through its structural design to ensure stability when positioned. The curvature of the slot provides a controlled path that preserves structural integrity during the pivoting motion.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical device includes a jaw assembly, an articulating assembly and a drive shaft. The jaw assembly includes first and second jaws. The articulating assembly is removably coupled to a proximal end of the jaw assembly and includes a distal joint member, a proximal joint member, and a pivot pin. The pivot pin is fixedly coupled to the distal joint member and is rotatably coupled to the proximal joint member. The jaw assembly and the distal joint member together define a first longitudinal axis. The proximal joint member defines a second longitudinal axis. The drive shaft includes a gear element that is meshingly engaged with a pivoting gear element that is fixedly coupled to the pivot pin. Longitudinal movement of the first drive shaft pivots the jaw assembly relative to the proximal joint member about a pivot axis defined by the pivot pin.