Laparoscopic Scissor-Grasper with Segmented Jaw Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current minimally invasive surgical tools lack multifunctionality, leading to the need for frequent tool interchange and increased risk of complications due to limited functionality and precision, particularly in laparoscopic surgeries where precise grasping and cutting are required simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A laparoscopic scissor-grasper tool with four independent jaw elements and a novel locking mechanism that allows seamless switching between grasping and cutting configurations, enabling precise control and independent operation of serrated surfaces for grasping and shearing edges, all within a single shaft design that can be rotated infinitely and easily sterilized.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate surgical tools are used for different functions (grasping, cutting, suturing), then each function can be performed with specialized precision, but the time required for tool interchange increases and the risk of complications during repeated insertion and removal increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple surgical functions (grasping, cutting, suturing) into a single multifunctional instrument. The instrument includes a shaft with a distal end containing a jaw assembly that can perform grasping operations, and mechanisms for deploying needles and performing cutting operations, all through a single insertion point, eliminating the need for repeated tool interchange
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument is designed to perform multiple surgical functions through a single device. The jaw assembly can grasp tissue, needles can be deployed for suturing, and cutting edges can perform incisions, making the instrument universal for various surgical tasks that previously required separate specialized tools
2Device complexity
If a combined bipolar scissor and grasper is used with cutting and grasping portions in the same angle of motion, then the tool structure is simplified, but the risk of accidental cuts or clamps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument divides the jaw assembly into separate movable and fixed portions with distinct functions. The movable jaw portion can be independently controlled from the fixed jaw portion, allowing selective activation of grasping, cutting, or suturing functions. This segmentation enables precise control where only the intended function is activated at any given time, reducing the risk of accidental simultaneous activation
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument employs dynamic control mechanisms where the jaw assembly can be selectively activated in different configurations. The control system allows the surgeon to dynamically switch between grasping mode, cutting mode, and suturing mode, ensuring that cutting edges are only exposed or activated when intended, thereby reducing accidental cuts while maintaining structural simplicity
3Manufacturing precision
If exposed cutting edges are used in a pivoting tool, then cutting precision is improved, but the risk during pivoting motion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument uses dynamic control to expose cutting edges only when needed. The cutting edges are contained within the jaw assembly and are selectively deployed or exposed only during intended cutting operations. During pivoting or other non-cutting motions, the cutting edges remain retracted or covered, eliminating the risk associated with exposed cutting edges during pivoting while maintaining cutting precision when activated
4Device complexity
If only one jaw is movable and the other fixed in a suturing device, then the device structure is simplified, but the control over both needle and tissue simultaneously is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The jaw assembly is segmented into multiple independently controllable elements including movable jaws and fixed jaws. This segmentation allows one jaw to grasp and stabilize tissue while another jaw or mechanism deploys and controls the needle. The independent control of each segment enables simultaneous manipulation of both tissue and needle with superior precision compared to single-movable-jaw designs
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a four-jawed combinational scissor-grasper surgical tool for use in laparoscopy. Cutting and grasping functionalities are respectively enabled via movement of a pair of such specially contoured jaw members sliding against or splaying apart from the other pair. Also disclosed are means for achieving selectable interlocking of jaw members and mechanical linkage for their actuation by human user.