Reusable Surgical Fastener Apparatus Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical fastener applying apparatus are either disposable and costly due to improper sterilization concerns or overly complex and difficult to sterilize when made reusable.
Innovation Solution
A surgical fastener applying apparatus with reusable components, including an anvil half-section, cartridge receiving half-section, and clamping lever, designed for easy sterilization, where the cartridge and firing assembly are disposable, allowing for multiple uses on a single patient and facilitating proper sterilization protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical fastener applying apparatus are made disposable to ensure proper sterilization, then sterilization reliability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical fastener applying apparatus is divided into disposable components (cartridge assembly with staples, knife, camming members, pusher members) and reusable components (beam members, anvil, handle). This segmentation allows the critical sterilization-prone parts to be disposable while the expensive structural parts are reusable, resolving the contradiction between sterilization reliability and cost.
2Loss of substance
If surgical fastener applying apparatus are made reusable to reduce cost, then cost decreases, but sterilization difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the apparatus into disposable and reusable segments, the patent eliminates the need to sterilize complex internal components (camming members, pushers, knife) that would be difficult to sterilize properly. Only the external beam members and anvil require sterilization, greatly simplifying the sterilization process while maintaining cost savings.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If surgical fastener applying apparatus are made disposable to ensure safety, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by making only the critical contact components (cartridge, knife, camming members) disposable while keeping the structural framework (beam members, anvil, handle) reusable. This reduces overall apparatus complexity compared to making the entire device disposable, while still ensuring safety by eliminating recontamination risks of internal components.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical fastener applying apparatus for applying fasteners to body tissue. The apparatus includes a cartridge receiving half-section defining an elongated channel member, an anvil half-section, and a clamping lever. The cartridge receiving half-section releasably receives a cartridge and a firing assembly. The clamping lever includes a protrusion in a sidewall which is receivable in a bifurcated depression formed in a sidewall of the cartridge receiving half-section to releasably retain the clamping lever in a non-clamped position and in a clamped position. The apparatus includes a disposable firing assembly and SULU.