Surgical Stapler Splay Arm Mechanism for Micro-Laparoscopic Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical staplers are inadequate for minimally-invasive procedures due to their large diameter, which restricts their use through small access ports, making it difficult to perform suturing in micro-laparoscopic surgeries where ports are only 2-3 millimeters in diameter.
Innovation Solution
A surgical stapler designed with a compact effector that can pass through a 5 mm or smaller access port, featuring a driver, pusher, splay arm, anvil, and plastically deformable staples that can splay and close to grasp tissue, allowing for staple deployment and closure within tight spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional surgical staplers are used, then staple deployment function is provided, but the diameter is too large to pass through small access ports (2-3 mm)
Solution Approach 1:
The effector is divided into multiple functional segments: a driver for staple ejection, a pusher for advancing staples, and a splay arm with splay fingers for tissue grasping. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, enabling the overall device to fit through small ports while maintaining complex stapling functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The splay arm is positioned within the effector housing and can be deployed outward when needed. The pusher and driver are nested within the effector, with the pusher advancing staples from the driver. This nested arrangement minimizes the external diameter of the effector while preserving all necessary functions for staple deployment and tissue grasping.
2Ease of operation
If the access port is enlarged to allow suturing, then suturing can be performed, but the benefits of minimally-invasive surgery are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The splay fingers are designed to automatically splay outward upon contact with tissue, grasping it without requiring additional manual manipulation. This self-splaying action occurs within the confined space of the small access port, eliminating the need to enlarge the port for complex suturing maneuvers while still achieving effective tissue closure.
3Shape
If staples are provided in open state, then wide opening is achieved, but the diameter of surgical instrument increases
Solution Approach 1:
The staples transition from a compact closed state during insertion to an open splayed state upon tissue contact. The splay fingers remain retracted within the effector during insertion, maintaining a small instrument diameter. Once the staple is deployed and contacts tissue, the splay fingers extend outward to grasp the tissue, achieving wide opening width only when needed for the stapling function.
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
Enables effective tissue closure in minimally-invasive surgeries by allowing staples to splay and grasp more tissue than conventional staples, facilitating procedures through small access ports without enlarging the port, thus maintaining the benefits of minimally-invasive surgery.
Implementation Method 1
plastically deformable staples which can splay and close to grasp tissue
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 2A
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A surgical stapler may include at least one staple, a pusher, and a splay arm; where motion of at least one of the splay arm and the pusher relative to the other causes the splay arm to contact and then splay at least one staple.