Pleated Trocar Shield Seal Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical trocar seals, particularly those made of elastomeric materials, are prone to damage when instruments are inserted or withdrawn, leading to gas leakage and inefficiencies in maintaining pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic procedures.
Innovation Solution
A surgical access device featuring a trocar shield with a plurality of longitudinal pleats, made of non-elastomeric material, that protects the seals by guiding instruments through a convergent opening, reducing contact with elastomeric seals and minimizing damage, while allowing for expansion to accommodate various instrument sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If elastomeric seals are used in trocars, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but vulnerability to instrument damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
A rigid trocar shield is introduced as an intermediary component between the elastomeric seals and the surgical instrument. The shield's distal end with longitudinal pleats creates a convergent opening that guides the instrument, while the shield itself absorbs the mechanical stress and protects the vulnerable elastomeric seals from direct contact with the instrument tip during insertion and manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The trocar shield is segmented into multiple longitudinal pleats that form a convergent opening. This segmentation allows the shield to both protect the seals and accommodate instruments of varying sizes and shapes, as the pleated structure can flex and adapt while maintaining the protective function.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a rigid trocar shield is used, then seal protection is improved, but adaptability to different instrument sizes decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is divided into longitudinal pleats that can flex and adjust. This segmentation allows the rigid shield structure to adapt to different instrument diameters while maintaining its protective function, as the pleated configuration can accommodate varying instrument sizes within a range.
Solution Approach 2:
The convergent opening formed by the pleated distal end allows the effective aperture to vary based on instrument insertion, enabling the same shield structure to protect seals while accommodating different instrument sizes by changing the functional parameters of the opening.
3Ease of operation
If a convergent opening is created with pleats, then instrument guidance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is segmented into longitudinal pleats that naturally form a convergent opening. This segmentation provides instrument guidance through the geometric configuration of the pleats themselves, eliminating the need for additional guiding mechanisms and keeping the overall device complexity manageable.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A surgical access device or trocar (1000) defines an access channel for instruments extending from a proximal end to the distal end thereof. The trocar comprises a cannula (1100) and a seal assembly (1200) disposed at the proximal end of the cannula. The seal assembly comprises a first or zero seal (1240), a second or instrument seal (1250), and a trocar shield (1260) disposed proximally of the first seal and the second seal. The first seal seals the access channel in the absence of an instrument extending therethrough. The second seal seals the access channel in the presence of an instrument extending therethrough. The trocar shield protects the first seal and second seal from damage as an instrument is advanced through the access channel The trocar shield comprises an open proximal end (1262) and a tapered distal end (1264) comprising a plurality of longitudinal pleats (1268), converging in an opening (1270).