Rod-and-Collet Adaptor Assembly for Mismatched Surgical Tool Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional powered surgical handpieces often experience less than robust coupling with surgical cutting tools due to mismatched coupling features, leading to inefficient transfer of rotational motion and potential safety issues during procedures.
Innovation Solution
An adaptor assembly comprising a rod and a collet with complementary engagement features allows for robust coupling between the surgical cutting tool and the powered handpiece, even when their coupling features are incompatible, by providing adaptable male and female coupling portions that match the handpiece and tool respectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a conventional drive chuck with a single central axis is used to couple surgical cutting tools, then the coupling structure is simple, but the coupling robustness deteriorates due to mismatched coupling features between the drive chuck and tool tang
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptor assembly serves as an intermediary component between the drive chuck and the surgical cutting tool. It includes a drive interface that couples to the drive chuck and a tool interface that couples to the tool tang, with conversion elements that transform the coupling format from the drive chuck format to the tool tang format. This mediator resolves the incompatibility between mismatched coupling features while maintaining coupling robustness.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling system is segmented into distinct components: the drive chuck, the adaptor assembly (with drive interface, conversion elements, and tool interface), and the surgical cutting tool. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function and enables the adaptor to bridge the format mismatch between drive chuck and tool tang without requiring redesign of the original components.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If a drive chuck with worn coupling features is used, then the device can be reused, but the coupling robustness deteriorates leading to inefficient transfer of rotational motion
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptor assembly with fresh, precision-machined coupling features at both its drive interface and tool interface serves as a protective buffer. It compensates for wear in the drive chuck coupling features, ensuring that worn surfaces do not directly contact the tool tang. This prior cushioning through the adaptor prevents the degradation of coupling robustness that would otherwise result from repeated use of the handpiece.
3Reliability
If an adaptor assembly with format conversion elements is introduced to match incompatible coupling features, then the coupling robustness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptor assembly is designed as a universal interface solution that can accommodate multiple drive chuck formats and tool tang formats. By incorporating conversion elements that bridge different coupling formats, a single adaptor design can serve multiple functions across different surgical tools and handpieces, justifying the increased complexity through enhanced versatility and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An adaptor assembly for coupling a cutting tool to a drill drive chuck such that driven rotation of the drive chuck is transferred to the cutting tool by the adaptor assembly. The adaptor assembly includes a rod, a collet and an enclosure. A proximal region of the rod provides an adaptor male coupling portion configured to engage a drill drive chuck. A leading of the collet provides an adaptor female coupling portion configured to engage a surgical cutting tool tang. Further, the rod and the collet form complementary engagement features for coupling to one another. The enclosure rotatably maintains the collet. Upon final assembly of the rod to the collet, rotation of the rod is transferred to the collet. During use, the adaptor assembly can facilitate coupling of a cutting tool to a powered handpiece under circumstances where the cutting tool is otherwise incompatible with the powered handpiece.