Parallel Jaw Motion Electrosurgical Instrument
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrosurgical instruments face challenges in achieving uniform tissue sealing and cutting, particularly in minimally invasive procedures, due to issues like tissue 'milk' out and non-uniform energy distribution, which can lead to incomplete sealing or cutting.
Innovation Solution
The design of a surgical instrument with jaw members that exhibit a parallel closing motion, minimizing tissue 'milk' out and enhancing even distribution, combined with a reciprocating member that translates through longitudinal slots to exert force on the jaw members, ensuring consistent tissue engagement and energy delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional jaw members are used in electrosurgical instruments, then the instrument can perform cutting and sealing functions, but tissue may milk out and energy distribution becomes non-uniform, leading to incomplete sealing or cutting
Solution Approach 1:
The jaw members are designed with a parallel closing motion mechanism that dynamically adjusts the contact pressure and area during closure. This dynamic approach ensures uniform energy distribution across the tissue interface by maintaining consistent pressure distribution, preventing tissue milk out, and ensuring complete sealing and cutting throughout the entire jaw surface.
2Force
If the jaw members close together to clamp tissue, then tissue engagement is achieved, but non-uniform energy distribution occurs leading to incomplete sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The parallel closing motion mechanism dynamically distributes the clamping force uniformly across the entire jaw surface during closure. This ensures that when the jaws clamp tissue, the force is evenly distributed rather than concentrated at specific points, thereby achieving uniform energy delivery and complete sealing throughout the tissue interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism changes the geometric parameters of jaw closure by maintaining parallel motion, which transforms the force distribution pattern from non-uniform to uniform. This parameter change ensures that the entire jaw surface contacts the tissue with equal pressure, enabling consistent energy delivery and preventing incomplete sealing.
3Reliability
If the reciprocating member translates through longitudinal slots to exert force on jaw members, then consistent tissue engagement is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: the reciprocating member with longitudinal slots that translates linearly, and the jaw members that receive this motion and convert it to parallel closing motion. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall simplicity and reliability of tissue engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The reciprocating member acts as an intermediary between the actuation mechanism and the jaw members. It translates the input motion through its longitudinal slots and converts it into the desired parallel closing motion of the jaws, providing a simple and reliable intermediary mechanism that ensures consistent tissue engagement without adding excessive complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument comprising, a shaft, and an end effector comprising first and second jaw members and a reciprocating member. The end effector may additionally comprise a first push rod member having a distally directed end pivotably coupled to the first jaw member and a proximally directed end pivotably coupled to the shaft at a first pivot point as well as a first linkage member having a distally directed end pivotably coupled to the first jaw member and a proximally directed end pivotably coupled to a second pivot point. In this way, distal motion of the reciprocating member may exert a force on the first and second jaw members causing the first and second jaw members to translate towards one another in a substantially parallel motion.