Force-Limiting Clutch for Surgical Instrument Overload Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive surgical procedures face challenges such as increased time, difficulty in instrument placement, and risk of excessive loading forces, particularly in treating vertebral compression fractures, where high pressures can lead to adverse outcomes.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a force-limiting mechanism into surgical instruments, such as a clutch system with drive and transmission elements, to prevent excessive force generation by slipping when a predetermined threshold is reached, ensuring safe and reliable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If higher pressures are used to deliver bone cement through small-diameter needles, then delivery flexibility and placement precision are improved, but the risk of bone filler material extravasation and excessive loading forces increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clutch mechanism acts as an intermediary between the actuator and the bone cement delivery system. It mediates the force transmission by allowing controlled slippage when predetermined force thresholds are exceeded, thereby preventing excessive forces from reaching the bone cement delivery needle while still allowing sufficient force for accurate placement
Solution Approach 2:
The clutch mechanism provides beforehand cushioning by being pre-configured with slip thresholds that cushion against excessive forces before they can cause harm. The mechanism is designed in advance to slip at specific force levels, protecting the bone and delivered material from overload while maintaining normal operational forces
2Reliability
If higher pressures are applied to deliver more viscous bone filler materials, then the risk of material leakage is reduced, but the risk of adverse outcomes from excessive loading forces increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clutch serves as a force-mediating component between the actuator and the bone filler material delivery system. It allows the system to generate sufficient pressure for viscous material delivery while mediating against excessive forces that could cause adverse outcomes, enabling reliable material containment without harmful overload
3Strength
If minimally invasive surgical instruments are used to work through constrained operative pathways, then patient trauma and recovery time are reduced, but the difficulty of instrument selection, sizing, and placement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clutch mechanism mediates force transmission in minimally invasive instruments, allowing precise control through constrained pathways. By providing controlled slippage at predetermined force levels, it enables accurate instrument placement through difficult access routes while preventing excessive forces that could complicate the already challenging minimally invasive procedure
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The force-limiting mechanism effectively prevents overload conditions, enhancing safety and reliability by limiting the maximum force applied during surgical procedures, reducing the risk of complications like bone filler material extravasation and vertebral body collapse.
Implementation Method 1
The clutch includes a drive element and a transmission element... If the force input from the actuator to the clutch reaches a predetermined threshold, the force-limiting clutch 'slips' and does not transfer the actuator force to the drive shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A force-limiting clutch for a surgical instrument includes a drive element and a transmission element. An actuator is coupled to the drive element, and a drive shaft is coupled to the transmission element for providing an output force. If the force input from the actuator to the clutch reaches a predetermined threshold, the force-limiting clutch “slips” and does not transfer the actuator force to the drive shaft to prevent excessive force/pressure output. Normally, drive features on the drive element engage with transmission features on the transmission element to transfer forces from the actuator to the drive shaft. When a threshold force is reached, the drive features slip past the transmission features. This clutch “breakpoint” determines the maximum loading that the surgical instrument can provide at its output. In various embodiments, multiple transmission features can be arranged in a serial manner, such that the force-limiting clutch provides multiple breakpoints.