Forceps Jaw Cam Slot Misalignment to Reduce Wobble
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical forceps devices experience jaw wobble due to clearance between the cam slot and pin, leading to instability during actuation, which affects precise manipulation of anatomical features.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates misaligned cam pins and pivot pins within their respective slots and apertures, allowing for reduced clearance and increased stability by ensuring the cam pin contacts specific edges of the flanges, thereby reducing play and wobble.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If clearance is provided between the cam slot and pin to allow movement, then the jaw can open and close smoothly, but jaw wobble and instability occur during actuation
Solution Approach 1:
The cam pin is intentionally misaligned from the center of the cam slot, creating an asymmetric configuration where the pin is offset toward one side. This asymmetry causes the pin to contact specific edges of the slot during actuation, stabilizing the jaw while maintaining necessary movement clearance
Solution Approach 2:
The clearance between the cam pin and cam slot is not uniformly distributed but is localized to specific regions. The pin contacts one edge of the slot in certain positions while maintaining clearance from the opposite edge, providing stability where needed while allowing movement where required
Data Source
AI summary
A forceps having at least a first jaw with a longitudinal axis is disclosed. The first jaw can include a body portion, a first flange, a second flange and a cam pin. The first flange can define a first cam slot with a longitudinal extent along the longitudinal axis. The second flange can be spaced from the first flange a distance transverse to the longitudinal axis of the first jaw and can have a second cam slot. The cam pin, with a longitudinal axis, can be moveably secured within the first cam slot and the second cam slot. A diameter of the cam pin can be less than a width between a first longitudinal edge that defines a first side of each of the first cam slot and the second cam slot and a second longitudinal edge that defines a second opposing side of each of the first cam slot and the second cam slot so that the cam pin is moveably received by both the first cam slot and the second cam slot. With the first jaw pivoted to at least a first position, the cam pin and first flange can be configured such that the first longitudinal edge is contacted by the cam pin but the second longitudinal edge is spaced from the cam pin. The cam pin and second flange can be configured such that the first longitudinal edge is spaced from the cam pin but the second longitudinal edge is contacted by the cam pin.