Medical Instrument Roll Gear Train for Angled Shaft Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical instruments for minimally-invasive procedures require precise control of multiple degrees of freedom, which is challenging for human operators and often complicated by the need for complex robotic systems, particularly in accommodating angles between instrument shafts and rotation axes during assembly and use.
Innovation Solution
A medical instrument with a roll mechanism incorporating a spur gear and beveloid gear system, including a compressible gear to manage manufacturing variations and minimize backlash, allowing for precise rotation and alignment of instrument shafts while accommodating angles between rotation axes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a robotic system is employed to control multiple degrees of freedom, then precision and ease of operation are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A robotic system acts as an intermediary between the operator and the medical instrument, providing precise control of multiple degrees of freedom. The robot mediates the complex manipulations required for minimally-invasive procedures, allowing intuitive operation while maintaining high precision control of the instrument shaft and end effector.
2Adaptability or versatility
If beveloid gears are used to accommodate angles between shafts, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The beveloid gear design allows for parameter changes in the gear geometry to accommodate various angles between the instrument shaft and rotation axes. By modifying the gear parameters, the system can adapt to different angular configurations while maintaining functional performance.
3Measurement precision
If tight interference fits are used in gear trains, then backlash is reduced, but assembly difficulty increases due to manufacturing variations
Solution Approach 1:
The gear train incorporates dynamic elements that allow for adjustment and compensation during assembly. The system can adapt to manufacturing variations through dynamic positioning and adjustment mechanisms, enabling tight interference fits to be achieved without excessive assembly difficulty.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables precise control and intuitive operation of medical instruments with reduced backlash and ease of assembly, facilitating complex manipulations required in minimally-invasive procedures by effectively transferring rotation across angled axes within a compact and manufacturable design.
Implementation Method 1
the compressible gear is able to deflect radially away from the interference
Implementation Method 2
The spur gear and the beveloid gear may be in a gear train
Data Source
AI summary
A medical instrument includes a roll mechanism that rotates an instrument shaft. The roll mechanism may include a first gear coupled to the instrument shaft and meshed with a second gear. One of gears may be a spur gear while the other gear may be a beveloid gear. Further, the spur gear and the beveloid gear may be in a gear train containing a compressible gear, e.g., a gear with an inner center piece, an outer ring, and a flexible interconnecting structure between the inner center piece and the outer ring. With a compressible gear, an interference fit of in the gear train may be within manufacturing variations of the gear train, and the compressible gear may deflect radially away from the interference fit.