Reusable Handle with Disposable Needle Assembly for Minimally Invasive Surgery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive surgical procedures using trocar assemblies result in trauma to patients due to multiple incisions, scarring, and limited internal working space, particularly with 5 mm trocar ports, which restrict instrument movement and lead to increased scar tissue and surgical complications.
Innovation Solution
A reusable handle assembly that can be actuated with various needle assemblies of different diameters and end effectors, allowing for minimally invasive surgical procedures without the need for trocars, reducing trauma and scarring by using a disposable needle assembly that can be inserted percutaneously under direct visualization, and allowing for easy handling and sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If 5 mm trocar ports are used, then instrument introduction is enabled, but internal working space is limited and instrument movement is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is divided into modular components: a reusable handle assembly and disposable needle assemblies with various end effectors. This segmentation allows the needle assembly to be exchanged based on specific surgical needs, optimizing both working space and instrument movement for different tasks while maintaining minimal incision size.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle assembly incorporates a dynamic grasping mechanism with movable jaws that can open and close. This dynamic structure allows the end effector to adapt its configuration during surgery, enabling effective manipulation of tissues despite the constraints of small trocar port size.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple trocar incisions are made, then surgical access is achieved, but trauma and scarring increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reusable handle assembly serves multiple functions and can accommodate various disposable needle assemblies with different end effectors (graspers, cutters, staplers). This multi-functionality allows a single incision site to support diverse surgical tasks, reducing the need for multiple trocar incisions and thereby minimizing trauma and scarring.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable needle assemblies are designed for single use and then discarded, while the expensive handle assembly is reused after sterilization. This approach allows the system to be introduced through minimal incisions without the need for multiple permanent ports, reducing surgical trauma and patient scarring.
3Loss of substance
If reusable handle assembly is used, then cost is reduced, but sterilization requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a reusable handle assembly and disposable needle assemblies. This segmentation allows the complex sterilization process to be applied only to the handle assembly, which is used repeatedly, while the disposable components eliminate the need for sterilization after each use. The modular design simplifies the overall sterilization management compared to sterilizing entire integrated instruments.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical device may include a disposable needle assembly, a reusable handle assembly, and a retractable slide. The handle assembly may include a ratchet mechanism, a locking mechanism, an arming mechanism, and a cage. A method for inserting and releasing the disposable needle assembly from the reusable handle assembly is also disclosed herein.