Surgical Clip With Outer Teeth And Curved Legs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical clips often fail to effectively engage and compress small vessels due to teeth that interfere with closure and apply non-uniform pressure, leading to tissue damage or rupture, especially in overstressed, fibrotic, or infarcted tissue.
Innovation Solution
The surgical clip design features leg members with concave and convex curvatures, out-board teeth that do not impede closure, and a flexible inner portion with different radii of curvature to ensure uniform pressure distribution, accommodating various tissue sizes and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If teeth are provided on the clamping surfaces to engage tissue, then tissue engagement is improved, but the teeth interfere with approximation of the clamping surfaces and prevent full closure
Solution Approach 1:
The teeth are extracted from the clamping surfaces and repositioned to the outer surfaces of the leg members. This removal from the critical clamping interface eliminates interference with surface approximation while preserving tissue engagement function on the outer surfaces where teeth can still effectively grip tissue without obstructing closure.
2Strength
If substantially rigid leg members are used to provide structural strength, then structural integrity is improved, but the leg members do not conform to different sizes of tissue causing stress localization
Solution Approach 1:
The leg members are designed with non-uniform thickness, creating regions of varying rigidity. Thinner regions provide flexibility to conform to different tissue sizes and shapes, while thicker regions maintain structural strength. This local variation in quality allows the same component to simultaneously achieve both strength and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg members transition from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure that can adapt its shape during closure. The varying thickness allows the leg members to bend and conform to the tissue being clamped, distributing stress uniformly across different tissue sizes and shapes while maintaining overall structural integrity.
3Reliability
If teeth are positioned to engage tissue, then tissue compression is improved, but non-uniform pressure distribution results in tissue damage and rupture
Solution Approach 1:
Teeth are extracted from the clamping surfaces and repositioned to the outer surfaces of the leg members. This relocation eliminates the concentration of compressive forces at tooth edges on the clamping interface, distributing pressure more uniformly across the tissue while maintaining effective tissue engagement and compression through the toothed outer surfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical clip may include: a first leg member having an inner surface, an outer surface, and first and second side surfaces, the inner surface of the first leg member having a concave curvature; a second leg member having an inner surface, an outer surface, and first and second side surfaces, the inner surface of the second leg member having a convex curvature; at least one first tooth extending from a first lateral side of the inner surface of the second leg member; and a first channel defined between the first side surface and the inner surface of the first leg member. The first and second leg members may be configured to move between an open configuration and a closed configuration, and in the closed configuration, the at least one first tooth is received in the first channel.