Reusable Surgical Handle With Replaceable Tip for Precise Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a surgical instrument that offers the convenience of a single-use instrument at the overall lower cost of a reusable instrument, particularly for ophthalmic procedures, while allowing for precise control with minimal effort and avoiding unintentional movement during use.
Innovation Solution
The design of an instrument handle and replaceable tip system, comprising a reusable handle and single-use tip, with a fixation mechanism to secure the tip in the handle, and an actuation structure that allows for easy and controlled manipulation, including the use of a pressure mechanism to provide a consistent or variable force for actuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single-use instrument is used, then convenience and sterility are improved, but overall cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is divided into two segments: a reusable handle that can be sterilized and reused, and a single-use tip that is disposed of after one use. This segmentation allows the expensive sterile component (tip) to be replaced while the expensive handle is reused, reducing overall cost while maintaining convenience and sterility.
Solution Approach 2:
The tip portion is designed as a disposable, single-use component that is sterile-packaged and replaced after each use. This eliminates the need to sterilize the entire instrument and reduces cross-contamination risks, while the reusable handle amortizes its cost over multiple uses, lowering the overall cost per procedure.
2Reliability
If control mechanisms require significant force, then actuation reliability is improved, but unintentional movement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation mechanism uses a dynamic spring-loaded system where the spring provides progressive resistance. The spring is pre-compressed to provide initial engagement force for reliable actuation, but allows controlled movement once activated. This dynamic response ensures reliable triggering while preventing unintentional activation from minor forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring mechanism is pre-compressed during assembly to store potential energy. This preliminary action ensures that when the actuation button is pressed, the spring immediately engages with sufficient force to reliably trigger the surgical utility, while the pre-set compression distance prevents over-travel and unintentional movement.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If surgical incisions are made smaller, then trauma and healing time are reduced, but instrument control precision becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument replaces manual mechanical manipulation with automated actuation mechanisms. The surgical utility (e.g., laser, cutter, coagulator) is triggered by simple button presses or lever activations that remotely control the distal end functions. This substitution allows precise control of surgical actions without requiring complex manual manipulation through the small incision, maintaining control precision while minimizing trauma.
Data Source
Figure 1A
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Figure 2
AI summary
An instrument handle and replaceable tip may include a reusable instrument handle and a single-use instrument tip. The instrument tip may include an outer base, a nosecone, a pressure mechanism, a hypodermic tube, a blank, and a fixation mechanism. 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.