Surgical Cable Passer with Segmented Handle Tubes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical cable passers are difficult to insert and remove through small incisions, often causing tissue damage and failing to provide a complete enclosed path for the cable, leading to binding with soft tissues.
Innovation Solution
A surgical cable passer with a design featuring two handle tube portions, each with a cable guide tube and handle extension, a releasable pivot portion, and a cannulated rod body with specific segments and ports to facilitate smooth cable passage and minimize tissue interference, allowing for easy insertion, looping around bones, and secure cable tensioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional cable passer is used to loop surgical cable around a bone, then the cable can be passed around the bone, but the instrument is difficult to insert and remove through small incisions and causes tissue damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cable passer is divided into two separate handle tube portions (first and second) that can be independently inserted and removed through small incisions. Each handle tube portion contains a cable guide tube with a cannulated rod body, allowing the instrument to be segmented for easier insertion while maintaining the complete cable looping function.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable guide tube is nested within the handle tube portions, with the cannulated rod body housed inside the guide tube. This nested structure allows the entire assembly to be inserted through a small incision while providing a complete enclosed path for the surgical cable, preventing tissue binding and damage.
2Ease of operation
If a traditional cable passer is used, then the cable can be partially passed around the bone, but the free end of the cable is difficult to pass through soft tissues and locate within the incision
Solution Approach 1:
The two handle tube portions are designed to mate together with opposing tips that engage to form a continuous, enclosed cable path. This merging of the two separate portions creates a complete loop around the bone while maintaining ease of cable passage through the soft tissues, as both portions work together to guide the cable smoothly.
3Reliability
If a cable passer with a complete enclosed path is used, then soft tissue binding is prevented, but the instrument structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosed cable path is achieved through segmentation into two handle tube portions, each containing a cable guide tube with a cannulated rod body. This segmentation allows the complete enclosed path to be formed by mating the two portions together, preventing soft tissue binding while managing structural complexity through modular design.
Data Source
AI summary
Surgical cable passer instruments and methods for passing surgical cable around a bone through a surgical incision are disclosed. First and second handle tube portions comprise respective cable guide tubes and handle extensions. A proximal portion of the cable guide tube portions is fixed to a distal portion of the respective handle extension. Each handle tube portions comprise a cannula extending between a near port at a proximal end and a far port at a distal end for passage of surgical cable therebetween. Arc segments of a first cable guide tube and a second cable guide tube define a bone aperture therebetween for passing around a bone. A releasable hinge portion joins a first handle tube portion and a second handle tube portion at distal ends of a first and second handle extension.