Surgical Stapler Self-Returning Mounting Assembly Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical staplers face challenges in maintaining and aligning the tool assembly with the elongate body during insertion and removal from a body cavity, particularly before and after articulation, which can lead to misalignment and complications in minimally invasive surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A self-returning mounting assembly using first and second spring members with cam portions and pivot members is integrated to maintain and restore alignment of the tool assembly with the body portion, ensuring alignment during insertion and removal, and facilitating return to alignment after articulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the tool assembly is made articulable relative to the elongate body to facilitate placement within a body cavity, then the ease of operation is improved, but the alignment between the tool assembly and the elongate body deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The spring member applies a preliminary restoring force that acts opposite to the articulation movement, continuously pushing the tool assembly back toward alignment with the elongate body. This preliminary anti-action prevents misalignment from occurring in the first place, rather than correcting it after the fact.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring member creates a self-returning mechanism that automatically restores the tool assembly to its aligned position without requiring external intervention. The system serves itself by using the spring's stored energy to counteract articulation and maintain alignment throughout the procedure.
2Reliability
If spring members are added to maintain alignment and enable self-returning function, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring member is extracted as a separate, modular component that can be independently manufactured and assembled into the mounting assembly. This extraction allows for simplified manufacturing of individual parts and easier assembly, offsetting the complexity added by the additional component.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a restoring force mechanism, a alignment maintenance device, and a return-to-position actuator. By consolidating these functions into a single component, the overall device complexity is minimized while achieving multiple reliability improvements.
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 self-returning assembly ensures precise alignment and easy insertion/removal of the tool assembly, reducing complications and improving the usability of surgical staplers in minimally invasive procedures by maintaining alignment and facilitating return to the original position post-articulation.
Implementation Method 1
The at least first spring member may include first and second arms. The at least first mounting member may include a cam portion. The cam portion may be received between and engage the first and second arms.
Data Source
AI summary
An articulating surgical tool includes a body portion and a tool assembly pivotally secured to the body portion by a mounting assembly. The mounting assembly includes at least a first spring member for maintaining a longitudinal axis of the tool assembly in alignment with a longitudinal axis of the body portion and for returning the longitudinal axis of the tool assembly into alignment with the longitudinal axis of the body portion following articulation of the tool assembly relative to the body portion.