Single Port Surgical System With Steerable Cannulas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical procedures in the abdominal cavity require multiple incisions, leading to scarring and hernias, and laparoscopic methods are invasive due to the need for multiple small incisions or ports for instrument access.
Innovation Solution
A single port surgical system that uses an elongate overtube and linkage system to support and orient procedural cannulas, allowing instruments to access the peritoneal cavity from a single port, mimicking the angles and approaches of multi-port laparoscopic procedures, with a gimbal system for intuitive control and deflection of tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple ports are used for laparoscopic procedures, then instrument access to the peritoneal cavity is achieved, but scarring and hernia risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple procedural cannulas that would traditionally require separate ports are merged into a single port assembly. The port assembly contains multiple lumens that can receive and guide multiple instruments simultaneously, allowing the benefits of multiple instrument access while maintaining only a single external incision site, thereby reducing scarring and hernia risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The procedural cannulas are nested within the port assembly structure. Each cannula passes through its own lumen in the port, and the entire port assembly is inserted through a single external incision. This nesting arrangement allows multiple instruments to be delivered through one port while maintaining their individual pathways, solving the contradiction between multiple instrument access and single incision.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a single port is used, then scarring and hernia risk are reduced, but instrument orientation and control become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The port assembly incorporates movable or articulating components that allow the procedural cannulas to be dynamically positioned and oriented. The linkage system can adjust the angles and directions of the cannulas to mimic the spatial relationships of traditional multi-port laparoscopy, making instrument control and orientation as intuitive as conventional approaches while maintaining single-port access.
Solution Approach 2:
The linkage system acts as an intermediary mechanism between the single port entry and the multiple instruments. It provides the necessary mechanical translation and orientation of forces, allowing the surgeon to control multiple instruments from a single external location while maintaining proper instrument angles and positions within the peritoneal cavity.
3Ease of operation
If multiple ports are used, then intuitive surgical technique is maintained, but the number of incisions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional arrangement of multiple separate ports on the abdominal surface to a three-dimensional integrated port assembly with multiple internal lumens. This dimensional change allows multiple instrument pathways to coexist within a single external incision site, maintaining the spatial relationships needed for intuitive surgery while eliminating the need for multiple separate incisions.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for performing multi-tool minimally invasive medical procedures through a single instrument port into a body cavity includes a rigid tube carried by a mount. Cannulas having instrument channels and steerable distal ends extend distally from the rigid tube. During a procedure using the system, the mount is supported by an operating room fixture, and instruments are advanced through the steerable instrument channels. Manipulation of the instrument handles engages actuators positioned on the mount, which steer the distal ends of the cannulas through the action of pull cables. The distal ends of the instruments may thus be steered within the body by the distal ends of the steerable cannulas.