Hydraulic Fracturing End Effector for Liver Resection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical staplers lack the ability to efficiently sever and ligate tissues while minimizing damage to vessels or ducts, particularly in complex procedures like liver resection, where multiple instruments are required, increasing procedural time and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The development of a surgical instrument with an end effector featuring a pair of crush surfaces and a staple cartridge, allowing for tissue severing by crushing and simultaneous ligation of vessels or ducts using a deformable hydraulic member that actively fractures tissue with controlled pressure, reducing the risk of damaging vessels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional surgical staplers are used to sever and ligate tissues, then ligation of vessels or ducts can be achieved, but the ability to efficiently sever tissue while minimizing damage to vessels or ducts is lacking, requiring multiple instruments which increases procedural time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple surgical functions (tissue crushing, fracturing, and ligation) into a single end effector assembly. The crush surfaces are positioned adjacent to the staple cartridge, allowing the device to both sever tissue through hydraulic fracturing and simultaneously ligate vessels or ducts with staples, eliminating the need for multiple separate instruments
Solution Approach 2:
The end effector is designed with multi-functionality, incorporating both crush surfaces for tissue severing and a staple cartridge for ligation. This universal design allows a single instrument to perform multiple surgical tasks that previously required separate tools, reducing procedural complexity and time
2Force
If mechanical crushing pressure is applied to sever tissue, then tissue can be fractured, but excessive pressure may damage vessels or ducts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a deformable hydraulic member that is inflated with fluid to apply controlled crushing pressure to the tissue. The hydraulic system allows for precise regulation of the applied force, distributing pressure evenly through the fluid to fracture tissue while minimizing the risk of damaging adjacent vessels or ducts through uncontrolled mechanical force
Solution Approach 2:
The crushing pressure is dynamically controlled by adjusting the fluid pressure within the hydraulic member. This parameter change approach allows the surgeon to modulate the force applied during tissue fracturing, optimizing the balance between effective tissue severing and protection of sensitive structures from damage
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple instruments are used for tissue severing and ligation, then comprehensive surgical functionality is achieved, but procedural time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The end effector integrates tissue crushing surfaces and staple ligation capabilities into a single assembly, allowing both tissue severing and vessel/duct ligation to be performed simultaneously or in sequence without instrument changes. This merging of functions directly reduces procedural time while maintaining comprehensive surgical capability
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-functional end effector serves as a universal tool that can perform both tissue fracturing and ligation tasks that previously required separate specialized instruments. This universality streamlines the surgical workflow, reducing the time needed to switch between instruments while maintaining the versatility needed for complex procedures like liver resection
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 tissue resection and ligation in a single instrument, reducing procedural time and complexity by effectively severing tissue while minimizing damage to vessels, and allowing for precise control over the crushing pressure to avoid unintended damage.
Implementation Method 1
a deformable hydraulic member that is configured to contain a fluid and actively fracture tissue for severing a portion of the tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument and method of operating on a tissue includes a shaft assembly and an end effector. The end effector extends in a longitudinal direction from the shaft assembly and has a first jaw, a second jaw, and a deformable hydraulic member. The second jaw is movably mounted relative to the first jaw and is configured to transition between an open configuration and a closed configuration. The first and second jaws are thus configured to have the tissue positioned therebetween in the closed configuration. The deformable hydraulic is configured to contain a fluid. With the fluid contained in the deformable hydraulic member, the deformable hydraulic member is configured to sever the tissue positioned between the first and second jaws in the closed configuration.