Surgical Instrument Cleaning Fixture Actuation Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current reprocessing systems for surgical instruments require substantial disassembly, which is time-consuming and increases the risk of damage, and often fail to adequately clean heavily contaminated areas due to uniform cleaning methods.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning fixture designed for surgical instruments, featuring a handle receiving portion, a shaft receiving portion with a muzzle for housing the instrument's shaft and end effector, and actuation assemblies to selectively actuate the knife and monopolar components, allowing for targeted cleaning fluid delivery and maintenance of the end effector in an open position for thorough cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical instruments are substantially disassembled prior to cleaning, then cleaning access to all components is improved, but the process becomes time-consuming and increases the probability of damage
Solution Approach 1:
A cleaning fixture acts as an intermediary device that receives the surgical instrument in its assembled state and provides cleaning access to internal components without requiring disassembly. The fixture includes a receiving chamber with openings positioned to allow cleaning solutions to reach the knife, jaw members, and other internal components while the instrument remains assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning fixture is divided into multiple sections including a receiving chamber, fluid delivery systems, and drying components that can independently address different parts of the surgical instrument. This segmented approach allows targeted cleaning of specific components through the fixture's various openings and channels.
2Reliability
If surgical instruments are substantially disassembled prior to cleaning, then cleaning access to all components is improved, but the fatigue life of device parts decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning fixture serves as a mediator that enables thorough cleaning of the surgical instrument's internal components without requiring disassembly. By providing external access points and fluid delivery mechanisms that reach through or around the assembled instrument, the fixture eliminates the need to separate parts, thereby preserving their fatigue life.
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical instrument is cleaned in its assembled state, allowing it to serve its own structural integrity function while being cleaned. The fixture's design enables cleaning solutions to penetrate and clean internal components without the instrument needing to be taken apart, making the cleaning process self-service oriented and non-invasive to the instrument's structure.
3Device complexity
If uniform cleaning energy is applied to all surfaces, then the cleaning process is simplified, but heavily contaminated areas are inadequately cleaned
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning fixture is designed with different openings, nozzles, and fluid delivery mechanisms positioned at specific locations to provide targeted cleaning energy to different parts of the surgical instrument. Heavily contaminated areas such as the knife and jaw members receive focused cleaning attention through specifically positioned fluid delivery points, while less contaminated areas receive appropriate cleaning through other fixture openings.
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning fixture for a surgical instrument includes a handle receiving portion configured to receive a housing of a surgical instrument, a shaft receiving portion configured to receive a shaft and an end effector assembly of the surgical instrument, and a knife actuation assembly movably coupled to the handle receiving portion or the shaft receiving portion. The shaft receiving portion extends distally of the handle receiving portion. The knife actuation assembly is configured to selectively actuate a knife trigger assembly of the surgical instrument to advance a knife of the surgical instrument between jaw members of the end effector assembly thereof.