Self-Winding Cable Surgical Instruments with Reusable Drivers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical instruments, particularly those used in minimally invasive procedures, are costly due to their complex design with high part counts, which is exacerbated for single-use disposable instruments, necessitating a design that incorporates both disposable and reusable parts to reduce costs.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument design featuring detachable, sterilizable medical instruments that are separate from the instrument driver, allowing for the driver to be reused while the instruments are disposable, and incorporating a sterile adapter to maintain sterility during use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical instruments are designed as single-use disposable items, then sterility and simplicity are maintained, but cost increases due to high part counts and complex designs
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument is divided into two distinct assemblies: a reusable instrument driver assembly and a disposable medical instrument assembly. This segmentation allows the complex, expensive driver to be reused while the simpler, sterile instrument is disposed of after use, reducing overall cost while maintaining sterility requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The medical instrument assembly is designed as a disposable component that is cheaper to replace than to maintain. By making the instrument (not the driver) disposable, the system reduces costs associated with sterilization and maintenance of complex components while ensuring sterility for each use.
2Adaptability or versatility
If surgical instruments are designed with high part counts for functionality, then operational capability is improved, but cost increases particularly for single-use disposable instruments
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the complex operational components (driver assembly with motors, controllers, and drive mechanisms) from the simple disposable instrument. This allows the complex parts to be reused across multiple procedures while the simple disposable instrument provides the specific operational capability needed for each procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument driver assembly is designed as a universal, multi-functional unit that can operate multiple types of medical instruments through standardized interfaces. This allows a single expensive driver to perform various surgical functions across different procedures, reducing the need for separate specialized drivers for each instrument type.
3Reliability
If the entire surgical instrument is made disposable, then sterility is ensured, but cost increases due to inability to reuse components
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the instrument into reusable driver and disposable instrument components, the system achieves sterility for the disposable portion while recovering costs through reuse of the driver assembly. This partial disposable approach balances sterility requirements with cost reduction goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a model where the disposable instrument assembly is discarded after use, while the instrument driver assembly is recovered, sterilized, and reused. This recovering approach reduces overall cost by avoiding the need to manufacture and sterilize the entire instrument for each procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic surgical tool includes a handle having a plurality of drive inputs rotatably mounted thereto, an elongate shaft extending through the handle and having an end effector arranged at a distal end thereof, and a plurality of drive members extending along the shaft to the end effector. A plurality of input stacks are arranged within the handle and operatively coupled to the plurality of drive inputs such that actuation of the plurality of drive inputs rotates the plurality of input stacks. Each input stack includes a drive member engagement device that locates and captures a corresponding one of the plurality of drive members at the handle upon rotation of the input stack.