Surgical Clip Spring Alignment for Parallel Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical clips with helical springs wound over a circumferential angle of more than 360° result in inclined clamping surfaces, leading to handling issues, such as the 'scissoring effect' and imperfect clamping, which can injure hollow organs.
Innovation Solution
The coil spring longitudinal axis is aligned parallel to the clamping plane by bending the connecting sections, reducing inclined force components and torsional stresses, and incorporating offset sections to prevent contact between winding sections, ensuring vertical clamping and minimizing friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the helical spring is wound over a circumferential angle of more than 360°, then the preloading element can hold the clamping surfaces in the basic position under preload, but the clamping surfaces become inclined relative to each other, causing the scissoring effect and imperfect clamping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces offset sections that extend in a direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis of the helical spring and the clamping plane. This third-dimensional offset compensates for the inclination caused by winding the spring over more than 360°, allowing the clamping surfaces to remain parallel while maintaining the required preload force through the spring's elastic deformation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the helical spring is wound over a circumferential angle of more than 360°, then the preloading element can maintain the clamping surfaces in the basic position, but the longitudinal axis of the spring becomes inclined relative to the clamping plane, causing force components that compress the spring blocks
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting sections are divided into multiple segments: a first section connecting the clamping arm to the spring, an offset section extending perpendicular to both the spring axis and clamping plane, and a second section connecting to the other clamping arm. This segmentation allows each segment to handle specific force components, with the offset section specifically designed to counteract the inclination and reduce torsional stresses on the spring coils.
3Device complexity
If the clamping surfaces are inclined at approximately 15° to each other, then the helical spring can be wound with a turn extending over a circumferential angle of more than 360°, but the scissoring effect occurs and the hollow organ being clamped is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The offset sections act as intermediary elements between the helical spring and the clamping arms. These offset sections transmit the preload force from the spring while compensating for the inclination caused by the winding configuration, thereby preventing the scissoring effect that would otherwise damage the hollow organ being clamped.
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
This design enhances the surgical clip's ease of handling, safety, and effectiveness by ensuring precise alignment and reduced expansion of the coil spring, minimizing the 'scissoring effect, and providing a larger working range and better visibility for surgeons.
Implementation Method 1
the preloading element is designed in the form of a helical spring which defines a longitudinal axis and has a first end and a second end
Implementation Method 2
the clamping surfaces held against each other in the basic position define a clamping plane, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the coil spring runs parallel to the clamping plane
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a surgical clip, comprising a first clamping arm, a second clamping arm, and a biasing element, which first clamping arm defines a first clamping surface, and which second clamping arm defines a second clamping surface, and which biasing element holds the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface against each other in a basic position, in particular under pre-tension. The first and second clamping arms are pivotable against each other against the action of the biasing element, wherein the biasing element is formed as a helical spring, which defines a helical spring longitudinal axis and has a first helical spring end and a second helical spring end. Between the first helical spring end and the second helical spring end, the helical spring comprises at least one winding, which extends across a circumferential angle of more than 360°. The first helical spring end is connected to the first clamping arm via a first connecting portion, wherein the second helical spring end is connected to the second clamping arm via a second connecting portion, and wherein the clamping surfaces held against each other in the basic position define a clamping plane. In order to make the surgical clip easier to manage, according to the invention, the longitudinal axis of the helical spring extends parallel to the clamping plane.