Surgical Scope Sheath Cleaning Nozzles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical scope cleaning methods during laparoscopic surgery are ineffective in maintaining a clear image due to lens fogging and smudging, often requiring the scope to be removed and reinserted, which can lead to further contamination and complications.
Innovation Solution
A surgical scope cleaner with a sheath that slides over the scope, featuring nozzles for spraying a cleaning liquid and blowing gas to clear the lens, integrated into a fluid management system for continuous use during procedures, allowing for cleaning without removing the scope from the surgical cavity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a sheath is used to prevent lens contact with fluids and debris, then lens protection is improved, but cleaning access becomes difficult and requires sheath removal
Solution Approach 1:
A removable cleaning element (wiper, sponge, or cloth) is introduced as an intermediary between the cleaning agent and the lens. This element can be accessed through the sheath via a port or opening, allowing cleaning without removing the sheath. The intermediary transfers the cleaning action to the lens while maintaining the protective barrier.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system is divided into separate components: the sheath remains in place providing protection, while a detachable cleaning element can be inserted through the sheath to clean the lens. This segmentation allows the protective function and cleaning function to operate independently without interfering with each other.
2Duration of action of moving object
If mechanical cleaning mechanisms like wipers or sponges are built into the scope, then continuous cleaning is possible, but the mechanism becomes difficult to keep clean and dry
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning element is designed as a disposable or easily replaceable component rather than a permanent built-in mechanism. After use, the cleaning element can be discarded or quickly replaced, eliminating the need to maintain and sterilize complex mechanical cleaning systems within the scope.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning function is extracted from the scope itself and placed in a separate, removable element. This allows the cleaning component to be independently managed, sterilized, or replaced without affecting the scope's integrity or requiring complex integration mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If the scope is removed for cleaning and reinserted, then lens cleaning is achieved, but the scope may become smudged again and the surgeon is distracted
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system allows the lens to be cleaned while the scope remains continuously inserted in the surgical cavity. The surgeon can clean the lens on-demand without removing the scope, maintaining continuous observation of the surgical field and eliminating interruptions to the surgical procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The surgeon can independently clean the lens during the procedure using the integrated cleaning mechanism, without requiring assistance or removal of equipment. The system is designed to be self-contained and operable by the surgeon during normal surgical activities.
4Ease of operation
If lens-cleaning features are built into the scope itself, then cleaning convenience is improved, but scope design becomes substantially complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning element is nested within or attached to the sheath rather than being integrated into the scope's complex internal structure. This external nesting approach provides cleaning functionality while keeping the scope's original design simple and unchanged.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath serves multiple functions: it protects the lens from fluids and debris, and it provides a platform for the cleaning element. This multi-functionality adds cleaning capability without requiring separate dedicated components or complicating the scope design.
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 effectively maintains a clear image by continuously cleaning the lens with minimal disruption to the surgical procedure, reducing the need for scope removal and reinsertion, and integrating with existing surgical systems to simplify the cleaning process.
Implementation Method 1
spraying a cleaning liquid... onto the lens at the end of the surgical scope to clean the lens
Implementation Method 2
blowing gas... onto the lens at the end of the surgical scope to clean the lens
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are methods and apparatuses for cleaning a surgical scope, the apparatus comprising: a sheath for removably receiving a tube of the surgical scope, the sheath comprising: a wall defining a channel for receiving the tube, where a distal portion of the wall is configured to extend only partially around a circumference of the tube, a first conduit that defines a liquid flow path, and a second conduit that defines a gas flow path; and at least one nozzle located at a distal end of the distal portion of the wall and configured for directing a flow of liquid from the first conduit across a lens of the surgical scope and directing a flow of gas from the second conduit across the lens of the surgical scope to clear the liquid from the lens.