Gimbal Mount Bellows Biasing for Surgical Seal Integrity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional seal assemblies for minimally invasive procedures struggle to accommodate a wide range of instrumentation sizes and maintain seal integrity during angular manipulation, often leading to damage or leakage due to frictional issues between the gimbal mount and seal housing.

Innovation Solution

A seal assembly with a gimbal mount and a bellows that biases the gimbal mount to align with the central longitudinal axis, reducing friction and providing a self-centering mechanism to prevent damage and leakage, while allowing for angular movement of instruments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the gimbal mount is allowed to move angularly relative to the seal housing, then instrumentation of varying sizes and angles can be accommodated, but friction between the gimbal mount and seal housing causes misalignment and potential damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccommodation of instrumentation sizes and anglesVSAvoidseal integrity and gimbal mount alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A bellows mechanism is introduced as an intermediary between the gimbal mount and the seal housing. This bellows provides a biasing force that maintains the gimbal mount in proper alignment with the central longitudinal axis while still permitting angular movement. The bellows acts as a mediator that reconciles the need for movement with the need to maintain seal integrity and prevent friction-induced misalignment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the physical state or parameters of the sealing interface by using a compliant bellows structure rather than a rigid connection. This allows the seal to accommodate angular deviations and positional changes of the gimbal mount while maintaining the sealing function, thereby preventing leakage even during angular manipulation of instruments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If the seal housing is designed to accommodate angular movement, then instrumentation manipulation is facilitated, but additional spacing is required which increases device complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstrumentation manipulationVSAvoidseal housing structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bellows mechanism combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides the biasing force to maintain alignment, accommodates angular movement, and maintains the seal. This integration eliminates the need for separate spacing structures or additional components that would otherwise be required to accommodate angular movement, thereby reducing overall device complexity while facilitating instrumentation manipulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If friction between the gimbal mount and seal housing is reduced to prevent damage, then instrument insertion is easier, but seal integrity may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstrument insertionVSAvoidseal integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The bellows acts as an intermediary that decouples the frictional interaction between the gimbal mount and seal housing from the sealing function. By providing a biasing force and maintaining proper alignment, the bellows reduces friction during instrument insertion while the compliant sealing interface maintained by the bellows ensures seal integrity is preserved even during angular manipulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 seal assembly effectively accommodates instruments of varying diameters and facilitates angular manipulation without causing damage or leakage, maintaining a fluid-tight seal and reducing the need for additional spacing, thus enhancing the reliability and efficiency of minimally invasive surgical procedures.

Implementation Method 1

a bellows configured to engage at least a portion of the gimbal mount, the bellows dimensioned and adapted to establish a biasing relationship with the gimbal mount, such that the bellows biases the gimbal mount to align with the central longitudinal axis of the seal housing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

the use of a bellows provides an additional sealing benefit, as insufflation gas is not permitted by the bellows from escaping between the gimbal mount and the seal housing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSealing:

Data Source

PatentUS9901372B2Surgical access device including gimbal mount cooperating with bellows attached to proximal wall of seal housing

Publication Date: 2018.02.27 COVIDIEN LP

AI summary

A surgical access device includes a seal assembly having a seal housing and a gimbal mount disposed within the seal housing, the seal housing defining a central longitudinal axis and having a longitudinal passage for receiving at least one surgical object therethrough and the gimbal mount adapted for angular movement relative to the central longitudinal axis. The seal assembly also includes a bellows configured to engage at least a portion of the gimbal mount, the bellows dimensioned and adapted to establish a biasing relationship with the gimbal mount, such that the bellows biases the gimbal mount to align with the central longitudinal axis of the seal housing. The bellows is configured to be attached to a proximal wall of the seal housing.