Surgical Forceps Pivot Pin Ramped Clearance Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical forceps face challenges in maintaining precise alignment and minimizing misalignment during tissue sealing and cutting, which can lead to inefficient energy distribution and tissue damage due to lateral and tilting movements of jaw members.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a pivot pin with radially sloped ramped surfaces and steps that allow for maximum clearance during opening and minimum clearance during closure, ensuring accurate alignment and reducing required forces for pivoting, thereby maintaining precise jaw alignment and facilitating effective tissue treatment and cutting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the jaw members are tightly coupled with minimal clearance, then alignment precision is improved, but the force required for pivoting increases and lateral movement is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot pin incorporates a shoulder with a ramped surface that creates a localized clearance zone. This clearance is strategically positioned to allow lateral movement and tilting adjustment of the jaw members during pivoting, while the rest of the jaw members maintain tight coupling for precise alignment during tissue sealing. The ramped surface of the shoulder gradually reduces clearance as pivoting progresses, optimizing both force requirements and alignment precision at different stages of operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the jaw members are allowed lateral movement for alignment adjustment, then adaptability is improved, but alignment precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot mechanism transitions from a static fixed-clearance design to a dynamic variable-clearance system. The ramped surface of the shoulder allows the clearance between jaw members to dynamically change during pivoting: maximum clearance is available at the beginning to facilitate lateral movement and tilting adjustment, and the clearance progressively reduces as the jaw members approach the closed position, automatically achieving precise alignment without manual intervention.
3Ease of operation
If the clearance between jaw members is maximized, then ease of pivoting is improved, but alignment precision and tissue sealing effectiveness worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot pin with ramped shoulder creates a periodic variation in clearance during the pivoting cycle. At the open position, maximum clearance exists between the jaw members, facilitating easy pivoting and alignment adjustment. As the jaw members close, the ramped surface progressively reduces the clearance, transitioning the system to a tight-coupling state that ensures precise alignment and effective tissue sealing. This periodic modulation of clearance optimizes both ease of operation and alignment precision at different phases of the surgical procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
An end effector assembly includes first and second jaw members pivotable between spaced-apart and approximated positions. The first and second jaw members include first and second proximal flanges, respectively. A pivot pin couples the proximal flanges of the jaw members to one another. The pivot pin includes a body and a head. The body is coupled to the first proximal flange. The head defines a first ramped surface configured to slidably contact a second ramped surface of the second proximal flange. In the spaced-apart position of the jaw members, the first and second ramped surfaces are oppositely disposed such that a maximum clearance is defined between the first and second proximal flanges. In the approximated position of the jaw members, the first and second ramped surfaces are similarly disposed such that a minimum clearance is defined between the first and second proximal flanges.