Endoscopic Suturing Method Using Rolling Manipulator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscopic surgical operations, particularly suturing and ligating in small body cavities, are challenging due to limited degrees of freedom in conventional forceps instruments, requiring high skill and restricted movement, making it difficult to perform intricate manipulative actions within small spaces.
Innovation Solution
A suturing and ligating method using two manipulators with a first manipulator having a gripper capable of rolling movement and unlimited angular range, allowing easy winding of a suture strand around its distal-end working unit, and a second manipulator for transferring and tightening, enabling efficient knot formation without moving within the body cavity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional forceps instruments without distal joints are used, then the instrument structure is simple, but the degree of freedom is limited and the end effector can be operated only on an extension of the shaft
Solution Approach 1:
The forceps instrument is divided into multiple segments with joints at the distal end, allowing independent movement of each segment. This segmentation enables the end effector to achieve multiple degrees of freedom while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument incorporates dynamic joints at the distal end that allow real-time adjustment of the end effector's orientation and position. These joints enable the instrument to adapt its configuration during surgical procedures, providing versatility without requiring complete structural redesign.
2Ease of operation
If conventional forceps instruments with limited movement range are used, then the training requirements are standardized, but the applicable surgical cases are confined to a certain range
Solution Approach 1:
The forceps instrument with distal joints is designed to perform multiple surgical functions including cutting, grasping, and suturing. The enhanced degrees of freedom allow a single instrument type to handle diverse surgical cases, reducing the need for multiple specialized instruments while maintaining ease of operation through standardized controls.
3Measurement precision
If suturing and ligating operations are performed in small body cavities using conventional instruments, then the surgical precision can be maintained, but the operational difficulty increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The distal joints add rotational degrees of freedom in dimensions perpendicular to the instrument's longitudinal axis. This allows the end effector to access and manipulate tissues in confined spaces by moving in multiple dimensions, maintaining surgical precision while reducing operational difficulty in small body cavities.
Data Source
AI summary
A suturing and ligating method includes a needle piercing step of inserting a needle of a suture-needle assembly through a tissue in a body cavity, a needle gripping step of gripping the needle with a first gripper, a winding step of winding a suture strand of the suture-needle assembly in at least one turn around a first distal-end working unit by rolling the first distal-end working unit in at least one revolution, a transferring step of transferring the suture-needle assembly from the first gripper to a second gripper, a suture strand gripping step of gripping a portion of the suture strand that has not passed through the tissue, with the first gripper, a pulling step of pulling the first distal-end working unit out of a loop of the suture strand, and a tightening step of forming a knot of the suture strand.