Scalpel Guide Slots for Precise Extended Incisions
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Solution Overview
Problem
In robot-assisted surgeries, the initial stab incision made through a scalpel guide often requires manual enlargement, disrupting the surgical procedure due to its necessity to be longer than the diameter of the tool guide.
Innovation Solution
A scalpel guide system that allows for precise marking and guided single-plane incisions, featuring a first guide slot for stab incisions and a second guide slot enabling a swiveling motion to create incisions longer than the tool guide diameter, with optional handle and guide prongs for controlled incisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a simple stab incision is made through the scalpel guide, then the incision precision is improved, but the incision length is insufficient for surgical access
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure is segmented into multiple functional slots: a first guide slot for precise stab incision and a second guide slot for lateral expansion. This segmentation allows the incision process to be divided into controlled stages, achieving both precision and sufficient length
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a single-dimensional stab incision to a two-dimensional incision path by introducing lateral movement capability through the second guide slot. This dimensional change enables the incision to extend beyond the tool guide diameter while maintaining precision
2Length of moving object
If manual enlargement of the incision is performed, then the incision length is increased, but the procedural efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure is designed in advance with both the first and second guide slots integrated into the scalpel guide. This preliminary design eliminates the need for manual enlargement steps during surgery, as the guide already provides the complete incision path from stab to final length
Solution Approach 2:
The incision process is made continuous through the integrated guide slots, allowing the surgeon to proceed directly from stab incision to full-length incision without interrupting the procedural flow. The useful action of cutting continues uninterrupted through the predetermined path
3Length of moving object
If the incision is made longer than the tool guide diameter, then the surgical access is improved, but the automated guidance is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The second guide slot acts as an intermediary element that bridges the tool guide aperture and the required incision length. It provides a controlled lateral movement path that extends the incision beyond the tool guide diameter while maintaining guidance through the slot's geometric constraints
Data Source
AI summary
Scalpel guides for use with a tool guide of a surgical system are described. In one version, the scalpel guide includes a body defining a first guide slot sized and shaped to receive a body of a scalpel to guide a blade of the scalpel along a central axis without any lateral movement of the scalpel. The body also defines a second guide slot arranged such that the body of the scalpel inserted in the second guide slot is guided vertically by the sides of the second guide slot and allowed to move horizontally across the channel along the trajectory plane. Other versions of the scalpel guide are also described.