Segmented Ultrasonic Blade for Articulated Surgical Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ultrasound medical instruments with ultrasonic blades face challenges in accessing and treating target sites within patients due to rigid blade designs, which limit flexibility and accessibility during medical procedures.
Innovation Solution
The development of ultrasound medical instruments featuring blades with varying transverse areas and bendability, including articulating portions and user-actuated sheaths, allows for controlled bending and articulation of the blades to facilitate access and treatment of patient tissue, with options for monolithic or non-monolithic blades and different attachment methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the ultrasonic blade is designed with uniform transverse area along its length, then the manufacturing process is simplified and structural integrity is maintained, but the blade lacks flexibility and cannot be articulated to access target sites
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrasonic blade is divided into multiple segments with varying transverse areas along its longitudinal axis. The blade includes a proximal portion with a first transverse area and a distal portion with a second transverse area, where the areas differ to provide both structural integrity and flexibility. This segmentation allows the blade to be articulated while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the blade are given different transverse areas to serve different functions. The proximal portion has a larger transverse area for structural support and vibration transmission, while the distal portion has a smaller transverse area to enhance flexibility and articulation capability. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between rigidity and flexibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the blade is made more bendable to access target sites, then accessibility is improved, but the structural strength and vibration effectiveness are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is segmented into portions with different mechanical properties. The proximal portion maintains higher structural strength for vibration generation, while the distal portion is designed with lower stiffness to enable bending and articulation. This segmentation allows each portion to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade may utilize composite material construction or material gradients to achieve varying levels of stiffness along its length. By combining materials with different mechanical properties or creating a gradient in material composition, the blade achieves both structural strength in the proximal region and flexibility in the distal region.
3Ease of operation
If the transverse area of the blade varies along its length, then flexibility and articulation are enabled, but manufacturing complexity and potential weak points increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is divided into discrete segments with defined transverse areas. This segmentation allows for standardized manufacturing of each portion that can then be assembled, reducing the complexity compared to manufacturing a completely variable-cross-section blade as a single piece. The segments can be manufactured using standard processes and joined together.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade design incorporates dynamic articulation capability where the distal portion can bend relative to the proximal portion. This dynamic feature is achieved through the varying transverse area geometry, which allows controlled movement while maintaining overall structural integrity during the surgical procedure.
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
These designs enhance the ability to controllably access and treat patient tissue by allowing for more flexible and precise positioning of the ultrasonic blades, improving the effectiveness of medical procedures and expanding applicability to various surgical techniques and robotic-assisted systems.
Implementation Method 1
a distal end portion adapted to contact and ultrasonically treat patient tissue
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasound medical instrument includes a medical ultrasonic blade having a proximal blade portion and a distal blade portion. The distal blade portion bends more easily than does the proximal blade portion. A user-actuated articulated sheath surrounds a portion of the medical ultrasonic blade. The distal blade portion includes a distal end portion adapted to contact and ultrasonically treat patient tissue.