Modular Surgical Drive Hub Spring Preload Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical drive hubs for endoscopic surgery are prone to clogging, costly, and rely on magnets, leading to price volatility and manufacturing issues.
Innovation Solution
A modular surgical drive hub design featuring a molded adapter with a slough chamber and drive adapter that uses a compression member to provide spring force and torque, eliminating the need for internal magnets, allowing for unobstructed flow paths and adaptability to different blade/burr configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If magnets are used in the drive hub to supply preload force, then the drive mechanism can be simplified, but the cost becomes volatile and manufacturing issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes magnets from the drive hub assembly entirely, extracting the problematic component that caused cost volatility and manufacturing issues. The preload force function previously provided by magnets is replaced by a mechanical spring-based compression member, eliminating dependency on magnetic materials and their associated supply chain challenges.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive hub is designed as a disposable component with a modular inner assembly that can be manufactured at low cost using standard medical-grade materials. By eliminating expensive magnets and using inexpensive spring elements instead, the overall cost of the disposable unit is reduced while maintaining functional performance.
2Device complexity
If a traditional drive hub design is used, then the structure is simple, but clogging occurs and operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive hub is divided into modular components including a removable inner assembly with separate blade adapter and compression member. This segmentation allows for optimized flow paths in each section and facilitates easy cleaning or replacement of clogged components, thereby maintaining operational efficiency without significantly increasing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression member is designed as a spring-based element that provides dynamic preload force to the blade, allowing the system to adapt to varying operational conditions. This dynamic mechanism maintains consistent blade engagement while permitting fluid flow unobstructed by rigid fixed structures, thus preventing clogging.
3Volume of moving object
If magnets are used for preload force, then the drive system is compact, but price volatility and manufacturing issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the magnetic field-based preload mechanism with a purely mechanical spring-based compression member. This substitution eliminates the need for magnetic materials while maintaining the compact form factor, as the spring element can be designed to fit within the same spatial envelope previously occupied by magnets.
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 design reduces clogging risks, lowers costs by eliminating magnet-related issues, and allows for easy adaptation of blade/burr configurations, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing manufacturing complexities.
Implementation Method 1
the inner blade adapter mounted within the drive adapter and biased in a distal direction by the compression member
Implementation Method 2
the drive adapter and the inner blade adapter including a key-way and a key for transmitting rotational force from the drive adapter to the inner blade adapter
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3~4
Figure 5A~6
AI summary
An inner assembly for a modular surgical drive hub includes a drive adapter (40), an inner blade adapter (50), and a compression member (60), the inner blade adapter (50) mounted within the drive adapter (40) and biased in a distal direction by the compression member (60), the drive adapter (40) and the inner blade adapter (50) including a key-way (43) and a key (52) for transmitting rotational force from the drive adapter to the inner blade adapter; wherein the inner assembly is configured to be inserted into and retained within the modular surgical drive hub. A modular surgical drive hub and a surgical instrument are described.