Electrosurgical Forceps with Retractable Cutting Element
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current open electrosurgical forceps require separate instruments for sealing and severing tissue, which is time-consuming and prone to imprecision, especially when dealing with smaller vessels or tissues.
Innovation Solution
An open electrosurgical forceps design with pivotably associated shaft portions and jaw members, incorporating a cutting mechanism with a movable cutting element that can project from the sealing surface to sever tissue after sealing, allowing for the same instrument to effectively seal and cut tissue along the sealing line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If separate instruments are used for sealing and severing tissue, then each instrument can be optimized for its specific function, but the procedural time increases and precision decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines sealing and cutting functions into a single forceps instrument. The sealing surfaces are integrated into the jaw members, and a cutting element is incorporated within the same instrument body, allowing both sealing and severing operations to be performed without changing instruments.
Solution Approach 2:
The forceps is designed to perform multiple functions: mechanical clamping, electrosurgical sealing, and tissue cutting. The same instrument can seal vessels of various sizes and then cut through the sealed tissue, making it a universal tool for both coagulation and division tasks.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a cutting element is added to the forceps, then the same instrument can seal and cut tissue, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting element is nested within the forceps structure. It is disposed within the slot formed in the sealing surface of one of the jaw members, and can be advanced or retracted as needed. This nesting approach allows the cutting function to be integrated without significantly increasing the overall device footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting element is made movable relative to the jaw members. It can be advanced from a retracted position to a deployed position where it protrudes from the sealing surface to cut tissue. This dynamic configuration allows the cutting element to be stored within the forceps when not in use and deployed only when needed.
3Measurement precision
If the cutting element projects from the sealing surface, then precise cutting along the sealing line is achieved, but the risk of tissue damage before sealing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing action is performed first by closing the jaw members around the tissue and applying electrosurgical energy. Only after the tissue is sealed does the cutting element advance to sever the tissue. This preliminary sealing prevents blood loss and tissue damage before the cutting action occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting element is dynamically positioned - retracted during sealing and only advanced after sealing is complete. This dynamic control ensures that the cutting edge is exposed only when needed, minimizing the risk of accidental tissue damage while maintaining precise cutting capability along the sealing line.
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
Enables efficient and precise sealing and severing of tissue using the same instrument, reducing procedural time and improving accuracy by integrating a cutting mechanism within the forceps, thus addressing the need for a simple, reliable, and cost-effective solution for open surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the jaw members includes an electrically conductive sealing surface for communicating electrosurgical energy through tissue held therebetween
Data Source
AI summary
Open electrosurgical forceps for sealing tissue are provided which include first and second shaft portions pivotably associated with one another. Each shaft portion has a jaw member disposed at a distal end thereof. Each of the jaw members includes an electrically conductive sealing surface adapted to communicate electrosurgical energy through tissue held therebetween and a slot formed through the sealing surface thereof. The forceps includes a cutting mechanism operatively associated with the first and second jaw members. The cutting mechanism includes a cutting element disposed within the slot of the at least one jaw member, the cutting element being movable from a first position wherein the cutting element is retracted within the at least one jaw member and a second position in which the cutting element at least partially projects from a sealing surface of the at least one jaw member.