Specimen Retrieval Pouch Segmented Guide Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing minimally invasive surgical retrieval bags face increased resistance and force requirements due to the continuous contact between the drawstring and the inner surface of the bag pathway, making it difficult to move the drawstring and potentially leading to incomplete closure or increased trauma to the patient.
Innovation Solution
A surgical apparatus featuring a pouch assembly with a circumferential sleeve containing spaced guide members that reduce contact between the drawstring and the pathway, allowing for easier movement and reduced resistance, along with a drive member and locking tab for controlled deployment and closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single contiguous pathway is used for the drawstring, then the pouch can be formed with a simple structure, but the resistance to moving the drawstring increases significantly as the pathway length increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the continuous drawstring pathway into multiple discrete sections or segments. Instead of a single contiguous pathway, the drawstring passes through multiple separate openings or channels in the pouch structure. This segmentation reduces the contact length between the drawstring and the pouch material, thereby reducing friction and the force required to move the drawstring through the pouch.
2Volume of moving object
If the drawstring pathway is made longer to accommodate larger pouches, then the pouch can capture more tissue, but the resistance to moving the drawstring increases
Solution Approach 1:
For larger pouches that require longer pathways, the patent segments the pathway into multiple discrete sections. This allows the drawstring to skip along the pouch perimeter through multiple separate openings rather than traveling continuously through a single long channel, reducing the cumulative friction and force required to move the drawstring through larger pouch volumes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the three-dimensional structure of the pouch by having the drawstring pathway extend along the perimeter or surface of the pouch rather than requiring a straight linear path through the material. This dimensional approach allows longer effective pathways without increasing the direct contact length, as the drawstring can follow the outer contour of the pouch structure.
3Reliability
If the drawstring is pulled with sufficient force to close the pouch, then the pouch can be sealed properly, but the force required may cause trauma to the patient or incomplete closure
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the drawstring pathway into multiple discrete sections, the patent reduces the cumulative friction and resistance that must be overcome during closure. This allows the pouch to be closed with lower overall force requirements, reducing the risk of excessive force causing trauma to the patient while still achieving proper sealing through the multiple segmented closure points.
Data Source
AI summary
A specimen removal apparatus includes a pouch assembly fabricated from a flexible membrane, a pouch support, a drawstring having a knot and forming a noose disposed circumferentially around a mouth of the pouch assembly, an endoscopic tubular portion, and a drive rod. The pouch assembly includes a plurality of circumferentially disposed guide members advantageously circumferentially spaced apart to define gaps therebetween. The guide members are disposed in a circumferential pathway proximal to the mouth of the pouch assembly. When the drawstring is pulled, the knot is stopped at an end of a guide member and the noose is closed, thereby closing the mouth of the pouch assembly. The pouch assembly is detachable from the apparatus.