Surgical Access Seal Assembly With Hinged Sections for Leak Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical access assemblies for minimally invasive surgery face challenges in providing a robust and durable seal that can accommodate various sizes of surgical instrumentation and withstand multiple insertions, while also protecting against damage from sharp edges.
Innovation Solution
The access assembly incorporates a seal assembly with a support member and multiple seal sections, which are integrally formed and connected by living hinges, allowing for flexible folding and enhanced durability. The seal sections are designed with a wing shape and tapered edges for improved sealing and resistance to tearing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a robust seal is used to accommodate multiple instrument sizes and withstand multiple insertions, then the seal durability is improved, but the seal complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into multiple seal sections (typically 3-6 sections) that are connected by living hinges, allowing each section to independently adapt to different instrument diameters while maintaining an overall robust sealing structure that can withstand multiple insertions and withdrawals
Solution Approach 2:
The seal sections are designed to be flexible and dynamic through living hinges, enabling the seal to expand and contract adaptively to accommodate various instrument sizes and return to its original configuration after each instrument passage, thereby improving durability without requiring a complex fixed structure
2Adaptability or versatility
If the seal is designed to adapt to multiple instrument sizes, then the adaptability is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The seal achieves adaptability to multiple instrument sizes by changing its geometric parameters dynamically - the seal sections expand radially to match the instrument diameter and contract back afterward, allowing a single seal design to accommodate a range of instrument sizes without requiring multiple precision-manufactured seal variants
3Reliability
If the seal sections are connected by living hinges, then the flexibility and durability are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The living hinges are integrally formed as part of the same piece of elastomeric material as the seal sections themselves, merging the connection element with the sealing element into a single monolithic component that flexes as one unit, thereby improving durability through flexible movement while avoiding the manufacturing complexity of assembling separate hinge and seal components
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the seal is designed to protect against sharp edges, then the protection capability is improved, but the seal thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal uses a flexible elastomeric material with sufficient thickness to absorb sharp edges and prevent tearing, while the living hinge construction and multiple seal sections allow this protective thickness to be distributed efficiently throughout the seal structure rather than requiring excessive thickness at every location
Data Source
AI summary
Access assemblies include an instrument valve housing and a valve assembly disposed within the cavity of the instrument valve housing. The valve assembly includes a guard assembly, and a seal assembly disposed distal of the guard assembly. The seal assembly includes a support member including a ring portion and a seal portion disposed within the ring portion. The seal assembly further includes a plurality of seal sections extending from the ring portion of the support member. The support member and the plurality of seal sections are integrally formed.