Rotationally Deployable Outriggers for Endoscope Instrument Triangulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current minimally invasive medical procedures using flexible endoscopes face challenges in achieving effective triangulation and working separation of instruments due to limited controllable degrees of freedom and minimal separation between instruments, making complex surgical manipulations like suturing difficult.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of rotationally deployable outriggers or arms at the distal end of an entry guide, which can be actuated with a single cable or actuator, allows for increased separation and triangulation of medical instruments, enabling greater freedom of movement without complicating existing instrument channels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If flexible endoscopes are used to minimize invasiveness, then insertion ease and tissue damage are improved, but instrument separation and triangulation capability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue damageVSAvoidinstrument separation and triangulation

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The endoscope distal end is divided into multiple separable instrument channels positioned at different locations (center and perimeter), allowing instruments to be delivered separately and positioned with greater separation and triangulation capability while maintaining flexible minimally invasive access

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple instruments are inserted through a flexible endoscope, then diagnostic and surgical capability is improved, but instrument separation and triangulation deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvediagnostic and surgical capabilityVSAvoidinstrument separation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a single-plane instrument arrangement to a three-dimensional configuration with instruments positioned at different radial locations (center and perimeter) and angular positions, enabling triangulation and separation in multiple dimensions while delivering multiple diagnostic and surgical instruments through the flexible endoscope

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Ease of operation

If current endoscope designs with perimeter instrument lumens are used, then instrument separation is improved, but axial length required increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstrument separationVSAvoidaxial length

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The instrument separation and triangulation geometry is pre-established through the fixed spatial arrangement of instrument channels at the distal end, allowing effective separation to be achieved in a shorter axial length without requiring gradual deflection over a long distance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9801529B2Rotation of outrigger during medical procedure

Publication Date: 2017.10.31 INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS INC

AI summary

A medical device such as an endoscope, a laparoscope, or other device including an entry guide uses outriggers or arms that are mounted on the distal end of the entry guide and rotationally deployed to provide separation of instruments when the entry guide reaches a work site. Deployment can be implemented with as few as one cable or actuator to operate the arms. This mechanism may achieve working separation in a short axial length without complicating instrument channels that may be used for other instruments introduced through the entry guide.