Offset Pivoting Arms for Surgical Ligating Clip Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical instruments designed for minimally invasive procedures face challenges in achieving a sufficient pivoting range for clamping jaws due to cramped space conditions, limiting their ability to effectively apply C-shaped ligature clips to vessels and other body parts.
Innovation Solution
The design features arms that pivot in overlapping planes without any part of the slide opposing the inner surfaces, allowing for a larger pivoting movement by utilizing the entire cross-sectional area and enabling the arms to widen, thereby increasing the bending moment and pivoting range without reducing the available space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the arms are arranged to pivot in the same plane to simplify the structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the pivoting range is limited due to the narrow cross-section of the instrument shaft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the arms from pivoting in a single plane to pivoting in two offset planes that partially overlap. This dimensional change allows the arms to achieve a larger pivoting range within the constrained cross-section of the instrument shaft, as the offset planes enable the arms to utilize three-dimensional space more effectively without increasing the instrument's external dimensions.
2Reliability
If the slide is designed to engage over the arms to provide guidance, then the reliability of arm movement is improved, but the available cross-sectional area for arm pivoting is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By arranging the arms in offset planes, the patent creates vertical separation between the arms in the cross-sectional view. This allows the slide to engage with the arms without fully blocking the cross-sectional area needed for pivoting movement, as the arms occupy different vertical levels within the available space.
Solution Approach 2:
The arms are arranged to partially overlap in their offset planes, creating a nested configuration where one arm is positioned above the other in the overlapping region. This nesting allows both arms to coexist within the limited cross-section while maintaining sufficient space for pivoting movement.
3Strength
If the arms are made wider to increase the bending moment and pivoting range, then the pivoting performance is improved, but the instrument cross-section becomes too large for minimally invasive procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves increased bending moment by arranging the arms in offset planes with vertical separation. This spatial arrangement increases the effective lever arm and moment of inertia without increasing the horizontal width of the instrument, allowing the arms to be made wider in the vertical dimension while maintaining a compact cross-sectional profile suitable for minimally invasive procedures.
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
This configuration enables a significant increase in the pivoting range of the arms, allowing for effective application of ligature clips even in restricted spaces, maintaining or enhancing the bending moment while ensuring the instrument fits within the limited space.
Implementation Method 1
two elastically deformable arms, each carrying a clamping jaw at their distal end... the arms are pivoted elastically in a pivoting plane from an initial position into an end position
Data Source
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AI summary
The surgical Instrument has two elastically deformable arms (11,12). A disk (14) is provided in longitudinal direction of the arms. The two arms run parallel to the swiveling plane through a part of their lengths and through a part of their widths and are arranged opposite to each other in displacing planes.