Hollow Grasper with Lumen for Multi-Instrument Passage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive surgical procedures require multiple incisions for tissue manipulation, which increases invasiveness and risks of infection, necessitating a surgical grasper that can reduce the number of incisions while enabling use with other surgical instruments.
Innovation Solution
A surgical grasper design featuring a handle assembly, inner shaft with a lumen for instrument passage, and an outer shaft with supporting fingers, allowing the grasper assembly to transition between approximated and spaced configurations via axial displacement of the inner shaft, enabling passage of additional surgical instruments through the grasper.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple incisions are made for tissue manipulation, then tissue manipulation capability is improved, but invasiveness and infection risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by placing the grasper assembly inside the outer shaft, which itself is inserted through a single incision. The inner shaft with lumen is nested within the outer shaft structure, allowing multiple instruments to pass through the grasper's central passage. This nested configuration enables complex tissue manipulation capabilities while maintaining a single external incision point, thereby reducing invasiveness and infection risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The grasper assembly is designed with a central passage that can accommodate various surgical instruments, making it a universal tool for multiple functions. The grasper jaws can directly manipulate tissue, while the passage allows passage of other instruments such as scissors, staplers, or suturing devices. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate incisions for different instruments, reducing overall invasiveness while maintaining versatile tissue manipulation capability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a hollow grasper structure is used to pass instruments, then number of incisions is reduced, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into distinct functional modules: the outer shaft providing structural support and insertion pathway, the grasper assembly with jaws for tissue manipulation, and the inner shaft with lumen for instrument passage. Each segment has a specific function, and their modular arrangement allows the hollow structure to pass instruments while managing complexity through functional separation. The segmentation enables the grasper to reduce incisions while keeping each component's design relatively simple and manageable.
3Ease of operation
If the grasper jaws are approximated for tissue grasping, then tissue manipulation effectiveness is improved, but passage of surgical instruments through the grasper is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The grasper jaws are designed to be dynamic, transitioning between open and closed positions. When instruments need to pass through the grasper, the jaws are held in an open or spaced-apart configuration, maintaining a clear passage. When tissue manipulation is required, the jaws close to approximate and grasp the tissue effectively. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to alternate between instrument passage mode and tissue manipulation mode, resolving the contradiction between these two functions.
Solution Approach 2:
Before passing surgical instruments through the grasper, the jaws are preliminarily positioned in an open configuration to clear the passage. This preliminary action ensures that subsequent instrument passage is unobstructed. After the instrument passes through, the jaws can then close for tissue manipulation. The preliminary positioning of jaws prevents blocking during instrument passage while preserving the ability to effectively grasp tissue when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical grasper includes jaws that are transitionable between spaced apart and approximated configurations. In particular, the surgical grasper defines an unobstructed lumen for passage of a surgical instrument therethrough.