Surgical Saw Blade Retention Locking Mechanism
Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical saws face challenges in maintaining stability and user simplicity when handling blades of varying sizes and geometries, particularly thinner blades, which can compromise the interface stability and user operation efficiency in fast-paced surgical environments.
Innovation Solution
A surgical system featuring a blade retention mechanism with a quarter-turn actuator knob and a locking mechanism that includes a moveable lock pin, allowing for secure retention and easy removal of cutting tools, and cutting blades with intermittent thickness enhancing features to maintain stability across different blade thicknesses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible blade retention design is used to accommodate various blade types and sizes, then adaptability is improved, but interface stability deteriorates when thinner blades are used
Solution Approach 1:
The blade interface incorporates localized thickness-enhancing features (protrusions or reinforcements) at specific regions of the blade proximal end. These local quality modifications increase the effective thickness and rigidity of thinner blades only where needed for interface stability, without altering the overall blade design or requiring different blade types for different stability requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention mechanism employs a moveable lock pin that can dynamically adjust its position between locked and unlocked states. The lock pin moves transversely to engage with or release the blade, providing adaptive retention that maintains stability for thinner blades while allowing easy blade changes. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by providing firm retention when needed while maintaining operational flexibility.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a complex locking mechanism is used to secure thinner blades, then interface stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock pin is spring-biased to automatically move into the locked position, engaging with the blade's thickness-enhancing features to secure it in place. The mechanism serves itself by using the spring force to maintain retention without requiring continuous user intervention or complex actuation systems, thereby achieving stable retention with minimal complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickness-enhancing features (protrusions or reinforcements) on the blade act as intermediaries between the blade and the lock pin. These features provide positive engagement points for the lock pin, enabling simple and reliable retention without requiring complex locking geometries or multiple retention elements.
3Ease of operation
If a simple blade change mechanism is used, then ease of operation is improved, but blade retention reliability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The blade proximal end is segmented into distinct functional regions: a main body portion and localized thickness-enhancing features (protrusions or reinforcements). This segmentation allows the retention mechanism to interact with specific discrete features rather than the entire blade interface, enabling simple and reliable engagement through focused geometric interactions that enhance both ease of operation and retention reliability.
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 system ensures secure and efficient retention of cutting tools, accommodating various blade sizes and geometries, while minimizing user complexity and maintaining stability, thus enhancing operational efficiency and safety in surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The actuator knob may comprise an inner cam surface configured to engage and displace the lock pin upon rotation of the actuator knob
Implementation Method 2
The locking mechanism comprises a lock pin associated with the reciprocating assembly. The lock pin may be moveable in a direction transverse to the direction of the reciprocating motion when the actuator knob rotates between a lock position and an unlock position
Implementation Method 3
The reciprocating assembly may be structurally configured to carry a cutting tool in a reciprocating motion
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical system for cutting tissue of a patient includes an outer housing and a reciprocating assembly structurally configured to carry a cutting tool in a reciprocating motion. An actuator knob is manually accessible to the user and may be fixed axially to the outer housing. The reciprocating assembly may reciprocate relative to the actuator knob. The actuator knob may be configured for rotational movement between a lock position and an unlock position. The system may also include a locking mechanism configured to retain a cutting tool within the reciprocating assembly. The locking mechanism may be responsive to movement of the actuator knob to maintain the tool within the output shaft when the actuator knob is in the lock position and permit removal of the tool when the actuator knob is in the unlock position. Surgical cutting tools, such as blades include thickness enhancing features.