Extendable Surgical Instrument Shaft Length Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical instruments lack the ability to adjust their length effectively to accommodate various surgical procedures and patient anatomies, limiting their versatility and efficacy in different medical scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument with an extension mechanism that allows the shaft and end effector assembly to move between retracted and extended positions, enabling incremental or continuous length adjustment, coupled with a movable handle and actuator system for precise manipulation of the end effector.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If surgical instruments have fixed length, then structural simplicity is maintained, but versatility and adaptability to different patient anatomies are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument incorporates an extension mechanism that allows the shaft to dynamically change length between retracted and extended positions. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the instrument to adapt to different patient anatomies and surgical procedures while maintaining a relatively compact stored profile, thus improving versatility without excessive structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft is divided into multiple segments that can be extended or retracted relative to each other. This segmentation allows the instrument to achieve variable length through discrete positional changes, providing adaptability to different surgical scenarios while maintaining structural integrity and manageable complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If surgical instruments have extendable length, then versatility and adaptability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The extension mechanism utilizes a nested structure where inner shaft segments are housed within outer segments. This nesting arrangement allows multiple functional components to be compactly integrated, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the extendable length capability for versatility in different surgical procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The extension mechanism is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides length adjustment for different anatomies, maintains structural support during extension, and integrates with the existing drive assembly and end effector. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
3Length of moving object
If the shaft is extended, then reach and access to distant anatomical sites is improved, but stability and control may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft transitions between fixed length states (retracted and extended positions) rather than continuous adjustment, providing structural stability at each discrete position. This dynamic positioning system ensures the shaft maintains rigidity and control during surgical operations while enabling extended reach when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The extension mechanism is activated before the surgical procedure begins or between procedural steps, allowing the shaft to be positioned in the optimal length state beforehand. This preliminary positioning ensures stability during the actual surgical manipulation while providing extended reach capability when required
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument includes a housing, a shaft coupled to and extending distally from the housing, an end effector assembly disposed at a distal end of the shaft, a movable handle coupled to the housing, a drive assembly coupled to the end effector assembly, and an extension mechanism disposed within the housing. The extension mechanism is configured to couple to the shaft and between the movable handle and the drive assembly for moving the shaft and drive assembly between a retracted position and an extended position relative to the housing. The extension mechanism is coupled between the movable handle and the drive assembly in each of the retracted and extended positions such that the movable handle is operable to effect manipulation of the end effector assembly in each of the retracted and extended positions.