Endoscopic Suturing Manipulator with Rolling Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional endoscopic surgical instruments lack the necessary degree of freedom and flexibility to perform intricate suturing and ligating procedures within the limited space of a body cavity, requiring skilled surgeons and being limited by the absence of joints in the working unit, which restricts their application to a narrow range of surgical cases.
Innovation Solution
The method employs two manipulators with distal-end working units equipped with rolling and tilting mechanisms, allowing for precise control and movement within confined spaces, enabling the suturing and ligating process by winding and gripping a suture strand around the working units, and forming knots through coordinated movement of the manipulators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional forceps instruments without joints are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the degree of freedom and adaptability are insufficient for intricate manipulative actions in limited spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The working unit is divided into multiple segments with joints, allowing independent movement of each segment. This segmentation enables the instrument to achieve complex orientations and positions within the body cavity while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The working unit incorporates joints that provide dynamic movement capabilities, transforming the rigid structure into a flexible system. This allows the instrument to adapt its configuration in real-time to perform intricate manipulative actions in confined surgical spaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional forceps instruments are used, then the ease of operation is maintained through simple structure, but the applicability is limited to a narrow range of surgical cases
Solution Approach 1:
The working unit with multiple joints and degrees of freedom is designed to perform multiple surgical functions including suturing, ligating, and intricate manipulative actions. This universal design expands applicability across various surgical cases while maintaining ease of operation through standardized control mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If manipulators with multiple joints are used, then the ease of operation for intricate manipulative actions is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple joints and working components are nested within the manipulator structure, with each joint contained within the previous segment. This nesting approach enables complex multi-joint functionality while maintaining a compact overall form factor and managing device complexity through hierarchical organization.
4Adaptability or versatility
If manipulators are used within limited spaces, then the adaptability to confined regions is improved, but the device complexity and operational difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator utilizes multiple degrees of freedom including rotational and articulation movements across different dimensions. This multi-dimensional movement capability allows the working unit to access and operate in confined regions of the body cavity that would be inaccessible to simpler linear instruments.
Data Source
AI summary
In a suturing and ligating method, a suture strand is wound around a gripper a predetermined number of times by turning a proximal end portion of a curved needle with a rolling mechanism. The gripper then grips the portion of the suture strand, which has not been inserted into the tissue. The gripper is then withdrawn through loops of the suture strand, which are wound around the gripper. The distal-end working unit and the gripper are then moved relatively to each other in order to form a knot across the incision.