Reusable Handle Single-Use Tip Ophthalmic Instrument
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical instruments, particularly ophthalmic instruments, face challenges in being both cost-effective and convenient, as reusable instruments require sterilization and single-use instruments are more expensive, while existing designs can be difficult to control, especially in confined spaces like the eye, requiring significant effort and force.
Innovation Solution
A reusable instrument handle with a single-use tip is designed, featuring an actuation structure, fixation mechanism, and a hypodermic tube, where the instrument tip is temporarily fixed and can be easily replaced, using a pressure mechanism to facilitate control with minimal effort and force, and is manufactured from materials that deform during sterilization to ensure sterility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a reusable instrument is used, then the overall cost is reduced, but the instrument requires sterilization between uses which reduces convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is divided into two distinct segments: a reusable handle and a single-use tip. The handle can be sterilized and reused multiple times, while the tip is pre-sterilized and disposed of after a single use. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific usage requirements, resolving the contradiction between cost-effectiveness and convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterile, disposable tip is extracted as a separate component from the reusable handle. This extraction allows the tip to be pre-packaged in sterile condition and discarded after use, while the handle remains a separate reusable component that can be sterilized and reused, thus providing both cost savings and convenience.
2Ease of operation
If a single-use instrument is used, then convenience is increased, but the overall cost is higher
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the instrument into a reusable handle and a single-use tip, the system captures the convenience benefits of single-use instruments (pre-sterilized, ready-to-use tip) while eliminating the excessive cost of making the entire instrument disposable. The expensive-to-manufacture handle is reused, while only the cheaper tip is disposed of.
Solution Approach 2:
The single-use tip portion is designed with specific local qualities (pre-sterilized, disposable) that provide convenience, while the handle portion maintains different qualities (durable, sterilizable) that enable cost-effective reuse. This local differentiation of qualities allows the system to achieve both convenience and cost-effectiveness.
3Reliability
If the instrument tip is firmly fixed in the handle, then reliability is improved, but the tip cannot be easily replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation mechanism employs dynamic elements such as springs and movable components that allow the tip to be securely held during use through elastic engagement, while enabling easy release and replacement when needed. The dynamic nature of the fixation allows it to adapt between a secure state during operation and a release state for replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation mechanism is designed as a separate, extractable component system that can be engaged or disengaged independently. This allows the tip to be firmly fixed when the fixation mechanism is engaged, while enabling easy removal and replacement by simply disengaging the fixation mechanism, thus resolving the contradiction between secure fixation and easy replaceability.
Data Source
AI summary
A reusable instrument handle with single-use tip may include an instrument tip and an instrument handle. The instrument tip may include an outer base, a nosecone, a pressure mechanism, a hypodermic tube, a blank, a fixation mechanism, and a tip cover. The instrument handle may include an actuation structure, a fixation mechanism receptacle, and an instrument tip housing. The fixation mechanism and the fixation mechanism receptacle may be configured to temporarily fix the instrument tip in the instrument tip housing. A compression of the actuation structure may be configured to actuate the hypodermic tube relative to the blank. The instrument tip may be removed from the instrument tip housing after use by removing the fixation mechanism from the fixation mechanism receptacle.