Powered Surgical Stapler Current Feedback for Deployment Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical staplers require significant manual force to clamp and deploy surgical fasteners, leading to surgeon fatigue, and may improperly deploy fasteners due to lack of feedback mechanisms, posing risks to patients.
Innovation Solution
A powered surgical stapler equipped with a drive motor, firing rod, end effector, current sensor, and controller that measures motor current draw to determine successful deployment of surgical fasteners, providing feedback for improved accuracy and reducing manual effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual force is used to clamp tissue and deploy surgical fasteners, then device complexity is reduced, but surgeon hand fatigue increases and deployment accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system with an automated motor-powered system. The drive motor (200) mechanically couples to the firing rod (220) through a drive tube (210), eliminating the need for manual hand force application while reducing surgeon fatigue. The motorized actuation provides consistent, controlled deployment without human physical limitation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that allow it to self-monitor and self-adjust during operation. Sensors detect deployment status and provide feedback to the control system, enabling the device to automatically determine whether surgical fasteners are properly formed without requiring continuous manual assessment by the surgeon.
2Ease of operation
If motor-powered staplers are used to automate deployment, then ease of operation improves, but reliability decreases due to improper fastener deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where sensors monitor the deployment process in real-time. The current sensor (430) measures motor current draw, and position sensors track firing rod movement. This feedback is transmitted to the control system (500), which compares actual deployment parameters against expected values and can detect improper fastener formation, alerting the surgeon or automatically adjusting parameters to ensure reliable deployment.
3Reliability
If feedback mechanisms are added to detect improper deployment, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system (500) serves multiple functions: it monitors sensor data, compares measurements against stored profiles, detects deployment anomalies, and provides feedback to the surgeon. By consolidating these functions into a single integrated control unit rather than separate dedicated components for each function, the patent reduces overall device complexity while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capabilities.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The powered surgical stapler reduces surgeon fatigue by automating the deployment process and ensures accurate fastener placement through real-time feedback, enhancing surgical precision and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a current sensor configured to measure a current draw on the motor
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for detecting a successful deployment of a surgical fastener, the method comprising: activating a motor to move a firing rod of a surgical stapler thereby firing a surgical fastener; measuring a first current draw waveform of the motor; and comparing the first current draw waveform to a second current draw waveform obtained from test firing data stored in a memory of the surgical stapler to determine whether the surgical fastener is successfully deployed.