Ophthalmic Forceps Centering Mechanism for Tip Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical forceps used in ophthalmology face challenges such as precision loss due to articulation play, inadequate stiffness, and degradation from sterilization, particularly with plastic materials that lack stability and alignment, leading to unsatisfactory performance and handling issues.
Innovation Solution
A surgical forceps design featuring a U-shaped working part with metal pins and a handle system incorporating centering means like wings and projections to ensure precise alignment and absorption of lateral forces, allowing for adjustable stiffness and improved coaptation of tips, even with plastic materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plastic material is used for the handle and elastic spacing, then manufacturing cost is reduced and flexibility is provided, but stability degrades over time due to sterilization treatment and aging
Solution Approach 1:
The forceps combines metal material for the working part (providing stability and precision) with plastic material for the handle (providing flexibility and cost-effectiveness). This composite structure allows each material to be used where its properties are most beneficial, resolving the contradiction between cost reduction and stability maintenance.
2Ease of manufacture
If plastic material is used for the handle, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but perfect alignment of active tips cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
Centering means are provided in advance on the handle elements to pre-align the metal working part with the handle before the surgeon uses the forceps. This preliminary alignment action ensures that the active tips are perfectly aligned when the forceps are closed, compensating for the lack of inherent precision in plastic manufacturing.
3Ease of manufacture
If the working part is made from thin sheet metal to reduce material usage, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but there is not enough metallic material to provide adequate stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
The metal working part is designed with non-uniform thickness: thinner at the handle attachment area (where flexibility is acceptable) and thicker at the active tip area (where stiffness and precision are critical). This local variation in material distribution optimizes both material usage and mechanical performance.
4Reliability
If the forceps are designed for single use to avoid sterilization, then sterilization degradation is avoided, but manufacturing cost per unit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The forceps is divided into a reusable metal working part and a disposable plastic handle assembly. The metal working part can be sterilized and reused, while the handle is designed for single use. This segmentation allows the critical precision component to be preserved while simplifying the disposable portion.
Data Source
Figure 1~7
Figure 2~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to forceps for microsurgery, in particular in the field of ophthalmology, comprising a U-shaped integral working part (1), in which the free end (2a, 3a) of each one of the arms (2, 3) is pointed, the part being made from a flat blank with a thickness (e) which is the perpendicular dimension of the movement plane (P) of the arms (2, 3) and elements for handling the working part jointly forming a sleeve for gripping the clamp, characterised in that each element is in the shape of an elongate body (4, 5) having a convex outer surface (4a, 5a) and a substantially flat surface (4b, 5b) comprising a longitudinal groove (6, 7) for housing one of the arms (2, 3) of the working part (1), the end of each element of the sleeve turned towards the tip being provided with a centring means (8a, 8b, 9a, 9b) engaging with a centring member complementing the corresponding end of the other element.