Surgical Adapter Assembly Nested Structure Reduces Torque
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Solution Overview
Problem
Adapter assemblies for surgical systems increase the overall length of electromechanical surgical devices, causing a distal displacement of the center of gravity, leading to increased torque on the user's hand, wrist, and arm, making the devices tiresome and cumbersome to use.
Innovation Solution
The adapter assembly includes a housing with a force/rotation transmitting/converting assembly that connects the surgical device's rotatable drive shaft to the loading unit's axially translatable drive member, converting rotation into axial translation, and an electrical assembly for secure electrical connection, designed to reduce the overall length and shift the center of gravity proximally.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an adapter assembly is used to interconnect the electromechanical surgical device with the surgical loading units, then the device can be connected to different loading units, but the overall length of the electromechanical surgical system increases and the center of gravity shifts distally
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter assembly utilizes a nested structure where the outer tube contains the force/rotation transmitting/converting assembly, and the inner tube is positioned within the outer tube. This nesting arrangement allows multiple functional components to be housed within a compact overall structure, reducing the distal extent while maintaining adaptability for connecting different loading units through the modular interface
2Adaptability or versatility
If an adapter assembly is used to interconnect the electromechanical surgical device with the surgical loading units, then the device can be connected to different loading units, but the center of gravity shifts distally increasing torque on the user's hand, wrist and arm
Solution Approach 1:
The nested arrangement of the inner tube within the outer tube, combined with the compact housing of the force/rotation transmitting/converting assembly, minimizes the distal projection of the adapter. This reduces the moment arm and consequently the torque exerted on the user's hand, wrist, and arm during operation, improving ease of operation while maintaining adaptability
3Extent of automation
If the force/rotation transmitting/converting assembly converts rotation of the drive shaft to axial translation of the drive member, then the surgical device can actuate the loading unit, but the structural complexity of the adapter assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter assembly replaces complex multi-component mechanical transmission systems with a more streamlined force/rotation transmitting/converting assembly. This assembly uses a combination of a rotatable drive shaft, an outer tube, and an inner tube with simplified mechanical elements to achieve the rotation-to-axial-translation conversion, thereby reducing structural complexity while maintaining full actuation capability
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 solution reduces the overall length of the adapter assembly, shifting the center of gravity proximally, thereby reducing user fatigue and improving comfort during use by minimizing the torque exerted on the user's hand, wrist, and arm.
Implementation Method 1
the force/rotation transmitting/converting assembly for interconnecting a respective one drive shaft of the surgical device and a respective one axially translatable drive member of the loading unit
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to adapter assemblies for use with and to electrically and mechanically interconnect electromechanical surgical devices and surgical loading units, and to surgical systems including hand held electromechanical surgical devices and adapter assemblies for connecting surgical loading units to the hand held electromechanical surgical devices.