Single-Port Surgical Instrument Handle for Reduced Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Single port surgical procedures face challenges with instrument handling due to limited space and visibility issues caused by parallel instrument shaft configurations, leading to interference and restricted access to the surgical site.
Innovation Solution
Design of surgical instruments with low-profile handles, curved end effectors, and rotatable mechanisms that minimize interference and enhance visibility, allowing for independent rotation and locking of end effector assemblies, and optionally incorporating hydraulic or ratchet mechanisms for precise control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a single incision site is used for single port surgery, then patient trauma is reduced and cosmetic outcome is improved, but instrument handling becomes difficult due to limited space
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is divided into separate functional components: a handle assembly with controls, an elongate shaft, and an end effector assembly. This segmentation allows the handle to be positioned away from the incision site while the shaft and end effector access the surgical site, resolving the space conflict.
Solution Approach 2:
The end effector assembly is designed to rotate independently relative to the shaft, adding rotational freedom to the instrument's movement. This enables the end effector to orient itself optimally for tissue manipulation without requiring the entire instrument to be repositioned, improving handling capability through an additional degree of freedom.
2Adaptability or versatility
If instrument shafts are positioned parallel to each other in limited space, then all instruments can pass through the single port, but visibility of the surgical site is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The end effector assembly is designed with rotational capability relative to the shaft, allowing dynamic repositioning of the end effector. This enables the surgeon to rotate the end effector to optimal viewing angles for the laparoscope, improving visibility while maintaining parallel shaft configuration for port access.
Solution Approach 2:
The end effector assembly can be rotated to asymmetric orientations relative to the shaft, allowing different end effectors to be positioned at different angles. This asymmetric positioning enables better visualization of the surgical site from various angles while all instruments remain accommodated within the single port.
3Device complexity
If handles of various surgical instruments compete for limited space outside the incision, then single port access is achieved, but manipulation precision is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the handle assembly from the end effector assembly through the elongate shaft, the control mechanisms can be positioned in the surgeon's hand away from the incision site, while only the thin shaft and end effector pass through the port. This segmentation eliminates handle interference and maintains manipulation precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The elongate shaft acts as an intermediary element that transmits forces and motions from the handle assembly to the end effector assembly over a distance. This intermediary allows precise control of the end effector while the handle is positioned optimally for the surgeon's hand, decoupling the control interface from the surgical site.
Data Source
AI summary
Surgical tools that can be used in single port laparoscopic procedures can include a low-profile handle assembly to minimize tool interference adjacent the incision site. For example, a handle assembly for a surgical instrument can have a generally in-line configuration extending linearly along a central longitudinal axis of an elongate shaft of the instrument. A linkage mechanism including a trigger, an actuation link, and an actuation shaft can be positioned within the in-line handle. The linkage mechanism can be pivoted between an open position in which end effectors of the instrument are open and a toggle position in which the end effectors are locked closed. A locking mechanism such as a ratchet mechanism can also be used to lock the end effectors. A surgical dissector can include gripping jaws having a curved profile or an angled elongate shaft to minimize tool interference and maximize visibility within a procedure site.