Tissue Resection Instrument With Toothed Outer and Toothless Inner Cutters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscopic tissue resection instruments face challenges in efficiently resecting and removing tissue from internal surgical sites, such as the uterus, while maintaining a clear working space and managing fluid distension and debris.
Innovation Solution
The end effector assembly features an outer shaft with a cutting edge and an inner shaft with a toothless cutting edge that rotates relative to the outer shaft, facilitated by a drive assembly and RFID chip for tracking, allowing for efficient tissue resection and fluid management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a tissue resection instrument uses a traditional cutting mechanism, then tissue resection can be performed, but the efficiency and precision of tissue resection is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting mechanism is segmented into two separate shafts: an outer shaft with cutting teeth and an inner shaft with a toothless cutting edge. This segmentation allows each shaft to perform a specific cutting function, improving both efficiency and precision without compromising the other
Solution Approach 2:
The inner shaft is nested within the outer shaft, with the inner shaft's cutting edge positioned inside the outer shaft's cutting teeth. This nested configuration allows the two cutting edges to work cooperatively, with the outer shaft providing gross tissue removal and the inner shaft providing precise cutting, thereby resolving the contradiction between resection efficiency and precision
2Area of stationary object
If fluid is used to distend the uterus during surgery, then the working space is maintained and visible, but fluid management becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The tissue resection instrument is designed with multi-functionality, integrating both tissue cutting and fluid management capabilities into a single device. The instrument can simultaneously perform tissue resection and manage fluid distension, eliminating the need for separate fluid management operations and thereby reducing the time lost to fluid management while maintaining the necessary surgical working space
3Loss of substance
If a reusable tissue resection instrument is designed, then cost is reduced, but sterilization complexity and infection risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is designed as a disposable single-use device with a simplified structure that eliminates complex sterilization requirements. By accepting the trade-off of increased device cost, the design removes sterilization complexity and infection risk, making the overall process simpler and safer despite the higher per-unit cost
Data Source
AI summary
An end effector assembly of a tissue-resecting device is disclosed. The end effector assembly includes an outer shaft and an inner shaft. The outer shaft includes an outer shaft window defined within a distal end portion thereof. The outer shaft window defines an outer shaft cutting edge extending about at least a portion of a perimeter thereof. The outer shaft cutting edge includes a plurality of teeth. The inner shaft is disposed within and rotatable relative to the outer shaft, and includes an inner shaft window defined within a distal end portion thereof. The inner shaft window defines a toothless inner shaft cutting edge extending about at least a portion of a perimeter thereof. Rotation of the inner shaft relative to the outer shaft causes the inner shaft cutting edge to rotate toward the outer shaft cutting edge.