Segmented Surgical Stapler Anvil for Reduced Tissue Trauma
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical staplers require access from both ends to staple tissues, leading to increased trauma and risk of damaging staples during insertion and removal, and existing alternatives either cause tissue damage or complicate the surgical procedure due to complex mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A surgical stapler with an anvil that can be actuated between a deployed and collapsed state, featuring a segmented design that rotates and pivots, allowing it to be inserted and removed through a smaller hole with reduced trauma, and controlled from the proximal end without needing access from the distal end.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a conventional anvil is used that requires access from both ends, then the stapling function is reliable, but the tissue trauma and risk of staple damage increase during insertion and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil is divided into multiple segments that can move relative to each other. These segments allow the anvil to collapse into a compact configuration for insertion through a small hole, and then expand to provide the necessary surface area for stapling. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling both minimal invasive insertion and adequate functional surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The anvil transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one that can change its configuration. It collapses into an elongated state for insertion and then expands to a deployed state with greater surface area for stapling. This dynamic transformation allows the anvil to adapt to different operational phases, reducing tissue trauma during insertion while maintaining ease of operation during stapling.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the anvil area is decreased for insertion, then the insertion trauma is reduced, but the anvil may cause damage to staples during retraction
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil dynamically changes its configuration based on the operational phase. During insertion, it collapses to minimize trauma. During stapling, it expands to provide adequate support. During removal, it collapses again to prevent staple damage. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by ensuring the anvil has the appropriate size for each phase of the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented structure allows the anvil to collapse into an elongated configuration during insertion and removal phases, minimizing tissue trauma and staple damage risk. The segments can then expand to form a larger surface area during the stapling phase, ensuring reliable staple formation and preventing damage during the critical stapling operation.
3Ease of operation
If a collapsing mechanism is used to reduce anvil size, then the insertion is easier, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil is divided into segments that rotate about a rotation axis and pivot relative to each other about a pivot axis. This segmentation enables the collapsing and expanding functionality while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical structure. The segmented design resolves the contradiction by providing ease of insertion through collapsibility without requiring overly complex mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical stapler includes a proximal end and a distal end and an anvil at the distal end for providing resistance to staples during the stapling operation of the surgical stapler. The anvil may include a number of segments arranged end-to-end. The anvil is elongated in the collapsed state, the anvil being elongated generally in a first direction D1. The anvil is configured such that the segments rotate about a rotation axis along a perpendicular second direction D2 when the anvil is actuated between the deployed and the collapsed states. The anvil is configured such that adjacent segments pivot relative to each other about a pivot axis along a third direction D3 when the anvil is actuated between the deployed and collapsed states. The stapler also includes an actuator mechanism, wherein the actuator mechanism is configured to be controlled from a location on the surgical stapler towards the proximal end.