Reusable Trocar Angled Blade Design for Laparoscopic Penetration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical trocars are often single-use or have limited reusability, and there is a need for improved reusable trocars with effective angled blade designs that can penetrate the laparoscopic cavity efficiently while being suitable for multiple sterilization cycles.
Innovation Solution
A reusable trocar with an angled blade design featuring a co-planar and angularly inwardly extending blade system on its tip portion, made from biocompatible materials like stainless steel, allowing for efficient penetration and multiple uses after conventional sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a sharp trocar is used to penetrate the patient's laparoscopic cavity, then penetration efficiency is improved, but the trocar becomes single-use and cannot be reused
Solution Approach 1:
The trocar blade is segmented into multiple sections that can be retracted into the shaft, allowing the blade to be separated from the shaft for sterilization while the shaft can be reused. The blade acts as a disposable component that can be replaced, resolving the contradiction between needing a sharp blade for penetration and the ability to reuse the trocar body.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade is designed to be discarded after a single use while the shaft is recovered and reused. The blade can be detached from the shaft and disposed of, while the shaft undergoes sterilization and is reused for subsequent procedures, thus maintaining both penetration efficiency and reusability.
2Reliability
If a reusable trocar design is implemented, then reusability is improved, but penetration capability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The trocar employs a dynamic blade retraction mechanism where the blade can be extended during insertion to provide sharp penetration capability, then retracted into the shaft for safe reuse and sterilization. This dynamic movement allows the same device to exhibit both sharp cutting characteristics and reusability.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade is pre-sharpened and positioned for optimal penetration before use. The trocar is designed with the blade already attached and ready for insertion, ensuring penetration capability is maintained while the overall device structure allows for subsequent reuse after blade replacement.
3Reliability
If conventional sterilization techniques are applied to reusable trocars, then reusability is improved, but the blade design must accommodate sterilization processes
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is segmented as a separate, removable component from the shaft, allowing the shaft to be sterilized using conventional techniques while the blade can be disposed of or sterilized separately. This segmentation simplifies the sterilization process by allowing different treatment protocols for different components.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade is designed as a disposable component that does not require complex sterilization processes. By making the blade inexpensive and single-use, the design avoids the complexity of creating sterilization-resistant blade materials while still enabling reusability of the overall trocar system through shaft sterilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A trocar is described. The trocar is formed of a biocompatible material, such as but not limited to stainless steel. Accordingly, the trocar is reusable for a relatively large number of surgical procedures assuming conventional sterilization techniques are employed after each surgical procedure. Additionally, the trocar is provided with an angled blade design formed on a distal portion of the trocar shaft. More specifically, the blade design includes a first portion extending substantially co-planar to a proximal portion of the tip portion of the trocar shaft and a second portion extending angularly inwardly towards a distal portion of the tip portion of the trocar shaft.