Lateral-Opening Forceps for Tissue Collection in Body Cavities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical forceps struggle to efficiently collect tissue from locations lateral to the forceps due to their design, which limits their ability to open and close in directions that align with the target tissue within body cavities.
Innovation Solution
A forceps design featuring an elongated shaft with a movable wire, first and second arms connected by pivotable joints, allowing the jaws to open and close in a lateral direction relative to the shaft, facilitated by a third joint that moves longitudinally, enabling efficient tissue collection from adjacent locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional forceps with jaws opening in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction are used, then the forceps can grip target objects disposed in front of the forceps, but the forceps cannot efficiently collect tissue from locations lateral to the forceps
Solution Approach 1:
The forceps employs a dynamic joint mechanism where the third joint can pivot between a first position (for lateral closing) and a second position (for forward closing). This dynamic reconfiguration allows the forceps to adapt its jaw closing direction based on the target tissue location, enabling both lateral and forward tissue collection without requiring multiple separate instruments
Solution Approach 2:
The forceps structure is segmented into multiple functional components: a shaft, a wire for actuation, a first arm connected to the shaft, a second arm connected to the wire, and a pivotal third joint connecting the arms. This segmentation allows independent movement and positioning of each component, enabling the jaws to open and close in different directions by coordinating the movement of these segmented parts
2Adaptability or versatility
If the third joint is disposed lateral to the wire in the open state, then the jaws can open outward, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The third joint serves multiple functions: it connects the first and second arms, enables lateral opening of the jaws when positioned laterally, and allows forward closing when positioned in the longitudinal direction. By making this single joint multi-functional rather than adding separate mechanisms for each motion, the design achieves versatile jaw movement while minimizing overall structural complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a forceps including: a shaft; a wire that is movable in a longitudinal direction inside the shaft; and a first arm and a second arm, each of which has a first jaw or a second jaw, that are connected to each other in a pivotable manner by means of a third joint. The first arm is connected to a distal end of the shaft in a pivotable manner by means of a first joint, and the second arm is connected to a distal end of the wire in a pivotable manner by means of a second joint. The third joint is provided between the first jaw and the first joint and between the second jaw and the second joint, and is disposed lateral to the wire in a state in which the first and second jaws are open. The first and second jaws are closed while the third joint is moving outward in the lateral direction with respect to the shaft.