Endoscopic Tool Tip Coupling for Jaw Stability During Angling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscopic medical instruments with adjustable tool tips face design complexity due to forced movements of jaw parts during angling and rotation, which complicates maintaining a compact and effective design.
Innovation Solution
The coupling of axially displaceable actuating elements for angling and pivoting the tool tip with the pivotable jaw part ensures synchronized movement, maintaining the jaw parts' position relative to each other, and a two-part actuating rod with end teeth and a driving pin mechanism facilitates low-backlash rotation and angling without forced movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the tool tip is angled relative to the shaft's longitudinal axis to maximize range of motion, then the tool's versatility and range of motion are improved, but forced movements of the jaw parts occur and device complexity increases due to compensation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The jaw part is designed to pivot dynamically relative to the rigid jaw part, allowing automatic adjustment during tool tip angling. This dynamic pivot mechanism eliminates the need for complex compensation mechanisms while maintaining jaw functionality during angled operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool is divided into distinct functional segments: a rigid jaw part and a pivotable jaw part. This segmentation allows independent movement of the pivotable jaw part to compensate for angling-induced displacement, simplifying the overall structure compared to traditional compensation mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the tool tip is angled relative to the shaft's longitudinal axis to maximize range of motion, then the tool's versatility and range of motion are improved, but the design must remain compact which conflicts with complex compensation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable jaw part provides dynamic adaptation during angling operations, eliminating the need for bulky compensation mechanisms and maintaining a compact instrument design suitable for endoscopic applications.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the tool into rigid and pivotable jaw parts, the design achieves compactness while accommodating the range of motion requirements without requiring additional compensation mechanism space.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the actuating elements are arranged with equal radial distance to the axis of rotation, then the jaw parts maintain their position relative to each other during angling, but the design precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating elements are designed to move in coordination with each other, where the movement of one actuating element automatically compensates for position changes in the jaw parts during angling, reducing the need for high manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating elements can be arranged asymmetrically or at different radial distances, using the pivotable jaw part's degrees of freedom to maintain jaw position stability without requiring equal radial distance precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a medical instrument (1) with a hollow shaft (2), at the proximal end of which a handle (3) is arranged and at the distal end of which there is a tool (4) with a rigid jaw part (5) and a jaw part (5) relative to the Rigid jaw part (5) pivotable jaw part (6) is arranged, a distal end region of the shaft (2) carrying the tool (4) being designed as a tool tip (8) which can be bent relative to the longitudinal axis (7) of the shaft (2) and the tool (4) can be rotated about the longitudinal axis (7) of the shaft (2) or about the longitudinal axis (7a) of the tool tip (8). A medical instrument (1), which, with a compact design, ensures an essentially free movement of the tool tip (8), is characterized according to the invention in that the axially displaceable actuating element (16) for angling the tool tip (8) and the axially displaceable actuating element (18) for Actuating the pivotable jaw part (6) of the tool (4) are coupled to one another in such a way that, on the one hand, when the axially displaceable actuating element (16) is actuated to angle the tool tip (8), the axially displaceable actuating element (18) for actuating the pivotable jaw part (6) inevitably simultaneously. of the tool (4) can be moved in the axial direction and, on the other hand, the axially displaceable actuating element (18) for actuating the pivotable jaw part (6) of the tool (4) can be actuated independently of the axially displaceable actuating element (16) for angling the tool tip (8).