Retractable Shielded Surgical Cutter With Distal Tissue Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing powered surgical cutting devices lack retractable protection and sensing features, which can lead to unintended tissue damage during surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a retractable shield and sensors into the surgical cutting device, allowing for adjustable protection and real-time tissue sensing, enabling precise control and prevention of damage to sensitive tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a retractable shield is added to provide protection and sensing features, then tissue damage prevention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retractable shield is nested within the existing shaft assembly structure, with the shield body receiving the cutting tool and the shield ring receiving the cutting tool at its distal end. This nesting approach allows the protection and sensing features to be integrated within the existing device architecture without adding external complexity, thereby preventing tissue damage while maintaining manageable device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The retractable shield is configured to move between a retracted position, where the cutting tool is exposed for cutting operations, and an extended position, where the shield covers the cutting tool to provide protection and sensing capabilities. This dynamic positioning allows the device to switch between cutting and protection modes, preventing tissue damage during sensing operations while maintaining cutting capability when needed.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the shield is extended to protect sensitive tissues, then tissue damage is reduced, but cutting accessibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The retractable shield provides dynamic protection by extending to cover the cutting tool during sensing operations to prevent tissue damage, and retracting to expose the cutting tool during cutting operations to maintain accessibility. This dynamic behavior allows the system to adapt between protection and cutting modes as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield is divided into distinct components including the shield body, shield ring, and arm, which can move independently or in coordination. This segmentation allows the shield to be extended for protection during sensing and retracted for cutting operations, balancing tissue damage prevention with cutting accessibility through controlled movement of individual shield components.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical cutting device includes a handle, a shaft assembly extending distally from the handle, a cutting tool extending through the shaft assembly, and a retractable shield. The retractable shield and/or the cutting tool is movable relative to the other between a retracted position, wherein a distal tip of the cutting tool extends through and distally beyond a ring (or other opening) of the retractable shield, and one or more extended positions, wherein the ring (or other portion) of the retractable shield extends distally beyond the distal tip of the cutting tool. In aspects, a sensor is disposed on a distal face of the retractable shield. In aspects, a surgical system including the surgical cutting device includes control circuitry configured to receive sensed data from the sensor and to provide an output based thereon.