Multi-Implement Ocular Surgical Guide for Fewer Instrument Exchanges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive surgical procedures face challenges with multiple instrument trips into the eye, increasing the risk of injury and inefficiency due to small, pliable instruments and the need for multiple surgeons or assistants to handle different tools, leading to potential leakage and alignment issues.
Innovation Solution
A multi-implement surgical device with a tubular guide and retractable implements that allows for multiple tools to be exchanged without removing the guide from the cannula, reducing the need for repeated insertion and improving surgical efficiency and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate instruments are used for different surgical applications, then surgical versatility is improved, but the frequency of instrument exchanges increases and the risk of injury and leakage worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate surgical instruments into a single integrated device with a common handle and shaft structure. Different surgical implements (vitrectomy probe, forceps, scissors, etc.) can be attached to the same handle assembly, allowing the surgeon to perform multiple surgical functions without removing the entire device from the eye, thereby reducing exchange frequency and associated risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle assembly is designed as a universal platform that can accommodate various surgical implements through standardized attachment mechanisms. The single handle can support different blades, probes, and grasping tools, enabling one device to perform multiple surgical applications including vitrectomy, hemorrhage control, and tissue manipulation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If thin, sharp instruments are used for minimally invasive surgery, then natural patient injury is reduced, but the risk of injury and leakage during frequent insertions worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula is pre-inserted into the eye through the pars plana before any surgical implements are used. This establishes a stable, protected pathway that remains in place throughout the procedure, allowing multiple implements to be exchanged through the same pre-established opening without requiring repeated punctures of the ocular tissues.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula serves as an intermediary structure between the external surgical instruments and the internal ocular environment. It provides a protected conduit that shields the delicate eye tissues from direct repeated contact with instrument insertions, reducing trauma and leakage risk while still allowing access for surgical manipulation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple trips into the eye are made for instrument exchanges, then surgical versatility is maintained, but surgical efficiency and time consumption worsen
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple surgical functions into a single handle assembly, the device eliminates the need for repeated removal and reinsertion of entire instruments. The surgeon can exchange only the working implements (blades, probes, forceps) while the handle and cannula remain in place, significantly reducing the time and complexity of instrument exchanges.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula and handle assembly remain continuously in place throughout the surgical procedure, maintaining a stable working platform. This allows for seamless exchange of different surgical implements without interrupting the overall surgical flow or requiring repeated positioning and alignment operations, thereby improving surgical efficiency.
4Adaptability or versatility
If frequent instrument exchanges are performed, then different surgical applications can be addressed, but the complexity of handling and re-adjustment worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into modular components: a permanent handle assembly and interchangeable working implements. This segmentation allows the surgeon to keep the ergonomically optimized handle in place while easily swapping only the specific implement needed for each surgical task, reducing the cognitive and physical burden of handling complete instrument exchanges.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized handle assembly serves as a universal mounting platform for various surgical implements. This universality simplifies the exchange process, as all implements attach to the same interface mechanism, eliminating the need for different mounting procedures for different tools and reducing handling complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for surgery that accommodates multiple different implements. The implements may be exchanged or changed out for one another over the course of a surgery in a manner that does not require disengagement of the device from a surgical site. As a result, the need to re-insert the device into the patient and other hazards associated with multiple trips into the surgical site may be minimized. In one embodiment, the device includes cannula architecture to avoid use of a separate cannula at the surgical site.