Stackable Ligation Clip Alignment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-fire clip appliers for ligation clips face issues with misalignment and jamming due to the stacking of clips, leading to inefficiencies and increased surgical procedure time, as existing designs lack effective alignment mechanisms to maintain clip stability within the applier.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates alignment members and locking elements on the ligation clips, which engage when stacked to maintain longitudinal alignment and prevent misalignment, allowing for sequential and stable delivery of clips to the jaws of the applier, featuring a first and second beam with alignment members and locking elements that secure the clips in a stacked configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ligation clips are stacked tip-to-tail in a multi-fire clip applier to enable sequential delivery, then the productivity is improved by allowing multiple clips to be applied without reloading, but the clips become misaligned and jammed within the applier, worsening the reliability
Solution Approach 1:
Alignment members are introduced as intermediary elements between adjacent ligation clips in the stack. These alignment members engage with corresponding features on neighboring clips to maintain proper longitudinal alignment throughout the stacking and delivery process, preventing misalignment and jamming while enabling sequential clip application.
2Loss of time
If ligation clips are stacked in a multi-fire clip applier to reduce surgical procedure time, then the loss of time is reduced, but the clips become misaligned and jammed, worsening the reliability and potentially increasing procedure time
Solution Approach 1:
Alignment members serve as intermediary components that maintain clip alignment during stacking. By engaging with corresponding features on adjacent clips, these alignment members ensure stable longitudinal positioning, preventing jamming and ensuring reliable sequential delivery that actually reduces surgical procedure time as intended.
3Reliability
If alignment members are added to ligation clips to maintain alignment in stacked configuration, then the reliability is improved by preventing misalignment and jamming, but the device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment function is segmented into separate alignment members that are integrated onto the clip beams. This segmentation allows the alignment feature to be added without fundamentally redesigning the entire clip structure, maintaining simplicity while improving reliability through dedicated alignment components.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment members are merged with the existing clip beam structure, combining the clamping function and alignment function into a single integrated component. This merging approach adds alignment capability without requiring completely separate alignment mechanisms, thus limiting the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A ligation clip includes a first beam that supports a first alignment member and a second beam that supports a second alignment member. The first and second alignment members receive distal end portions of first and second beam portions of a second ligation clip when the ligation clips are stacked within a multi-fire clip applier to provide stability to the clip stack.