Pivotable Cardiac Stabilizer Assembly for Small-Incision TECAB
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stabilization tools for minimally invasive cardiac surgery, such as TECAB, face difficulties in inserting tools of sufficient dimensions and with suction capability through small incisions due to their size constraints.
Innovation Solution
A stabilizer tool is designed with separable elements that can be assembled in situ, allowing insertion through small incisions and featuring a holding mechanism adapted for robotic surgery, utilizing suction paddles that can be expanded and locked onto a robotic arm jaw for stabilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If stabilization tools are designed with sufficient dimensions and suction capability, then stabilization effectiveness is improved, but the tool cannot be inserted through small incisions used in TECAB
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizer tool is divided into multiple segments including a proximal section, intermediate section, and distal section that can articulate relative to each other. This segmentation allows the tool to be inserted through small incisions in a compact configuration while expanding to provide sufficient stabilization surface area once positioned at the target site.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool incorporates articulating joints between sections that allow dynamic transformation from a compact insertion configuration to an expanded stabilization configuration. The distal section can rotate and position itself to maximize contact with the beating heart surface, adapting to the dynamic surgical environment.
2Ease of operation
If the stabilizer tool is made compact for insertion through small holes, then ease of insertion is improved, but stabilization capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The distal stabilization section is designed to nest within or alongside the proximal and intermediate sections during insertion. Once positioned, the distal section deploys outward to provide extensive stabilization surface area, effectively transforming from a nested compact state to an expanded functional state.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool transitions from a one-dimensional linear insertion path to a multi-dimensional expanded configuration at the target site. The articulating joints enable the distal section to orient in multiple directions, maximizing stabilization capability in three-dimensional space around the beating heart.
3Manufacturing precision
If the stabilizer members are assembled outside the body, then assembly precision is improved, but the tool cannot pass through small incisions
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizer is designed as separable segments that can be inserted independently through small incisions. The articulating joints are designed to engage automatically or with minimal manipulation after insertion, providing precise assembly within the constrained surgical field without requiring complex pre-assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate section acts as a mediator between the proximal control section and the distal stabilization section. It provides a stable connection point and transmission mechanism that allows precise control from the proximal end to be transferred to the distal stabilization elements, enabling accurate positioning and assembly within the body.
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
Enables effective stabilization of cardiac tissue during beating heart surgeries, facilitating anastomosis procedures by allowing the tool to be inserted and secured through small incisions without requiring heart-lung bypass machines.
Implementation Method 1
stabilizer members having suction for adhering to the surface (e.g., cardiac tissue surface) to be stabilized
Data Source
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AI summary
A stabilizer for minimally invasive cardiac surgery has a pair of stabilizer members which are individually inserted into a patient and assembled to a robotic arm internally. Each stabilizer member has a suction pod at a distal end and a mounting section at a proximal end. The mounting section includes a fixed tab and a rotatable lever arm with a movable tab on a first end of the rotatable lever arm. The tabs are configured to extend through an opening in a respective jaw of a robotic arm. A lever operator is coupled to the lever arm and is configured to pivot the lever arm between an expanded state of the tabs and a contracted state of the tabs.