Lateral Moving Seal with Bellows for Surgical Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seal assemblies for minimally invasive and laparoscopic procedures struggle to accommodate a wide range of instrumentation sizes and maintain seal integrity during angular manipulation, leading to potential gas and fluid leakage.
Innovation Solution
A seal assembly with a bellows mechanism that engages the inner seal housing, allowing for lateral movement and self-centering, which accommodates instruments of varying diameters and facilitates angular insertion while maintaining a fluid-tight interface by expanding and contracting to inhibit leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional seal assembly is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate a wide range of instrumentation sizes and maintain seal integrity during angular manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed to be laterally movable within the seal housing rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position to accommodate instruments of varying diameters and angles. The bellows mechanism provides dynamic compression and expansion to maintain sealing contact during instrument manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows is positioned within the seal housing and engages with the seal assembly, creating a nested structure where the bellows can compress and expand to accommodate different instrument sizes while maintaining the overall compact housing structure.
2Reliability
If a conventional seal assembly is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot maintain seal integrity during angular manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The laterally movable seal design allows the sealing surface to dynamically follow the angular manipulation of instruments, maintaining continuous sealing contact. The bellows mechanism dynamically adjusts compression forces to preserve seal integrity during movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows acts as a flexible element that can compress and expand while maintaining sealing engagement, allowing the seal assembly to flex and adapt to angular instrument manipulation without compromising the fluid-tight interface.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the seal is laterally movable, then it can accommodate varying instrument diameters, but friction must be overcome for alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows mechanism automatically generates the necessary force through its compression and expansion cycles to overcome friction and self-center the seal with the housing, eliminating the need for external actuation systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows changes its compression parameter dynamically during instrument insertion and manipulation, adjusting the force applied to the seal to overcome friction initially and then maintaining proper alignment throughout the procedure.
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 maintains a gas-tight seal with instruments of varying diameters and allows for angular manipulation, minimizing gas and fluid leakage during surgical procedures, thus preserving the atmospheric integrity of the body cavity.
Implementation Method 1
the bellows causes friction between the seal and the inner seal housing to be overcome to permit the seal to align with the central longitudinal axis of the outer seal housing
Implementation Method 2
the bellows is dimensioned and adapted to inhibit passage of fluids through the outer seal housing
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical access device includes a seal assembly having an outer seal housing, an inner seal housing, and a seal cooperating with the inner seal housing, the outer seal housing defining a central longitudinal axis and having a longitudinal passage for receiving at least one surgical object therethrough. The surgical access device also includes a bellows configured to engage at least a portion of the inner seal housing cooperating with the seal, the bellows dimensioned and adapted to establish a biasing relationship with the seal. The seal is adapted for lateral movement relative to the central longitudinal axis of the outer seal housing and the bellows is configured to be attached to a proximal wall of the outer seal housing.