Surgical Grasper with Shielded Cutting Member for Vessel Isolation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical instruments for harvesting saphenous veins in coronary artery bypass surgery require multiple instruments and steps, making the procedure invasive, time-consuming, and challenging for inexperienced surgeons due to the need to sever and cauterize branching vessels and connective tissue, leading to potential complications like post-operative pain and numbness.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument with a tubular member and a grasper that includes pivotally coupled grasping members and a cutting device, allowing for independent grasping and cauterizing of branching vessels and connective tissue without the need for multiple instruments, facilitating efficient navigation and isolation of the saphenous vein segment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple instruments are used to sever and cauterize branching vessels and connective tissue, then the surgical procedure can be performed, but the device complexity and number of steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (grasping, cutting, and cauterizing) into a single integrated surgical instrument. The instrument includes a grasper with grasping members that can simultaneously perform cutting and cauterizing actions on branching vessels and connective tissue, eliminating the need for multiple separate instruments and reducing procedural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical instrument is designed with multi-functionality to perform various tasks including grasping, cutting, and cauterizing branching vessels and connective tissue. The grasper can adapt to different tissue types and vascular structures, providing universal capability to handle diverse surgical requirements within a single device
2Productivity
If a highly invasive extraction procedure is used to extract the blood vessel segment, then the blood vessel can be extracted, but post operative pain and numbness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a minimally invasive approach by segmenting the extraction process into small incisions at both ends of the desired blood vessel segment. This allows for targeted access and extraction through smaller openings rather than a single large incision, reducing tissue damage and associated pain while maintaining surgical effectiveness
3Reliability
If multiple tools are used to sever and cauterize vessels and isolate the blood vessel segment, then the isolation can be achieved, but the procedure becomes time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple surgical functions into a single integrated instrument that can simultaneously perform grasping, cutting, and cauterizing operations. This consolidation allows the surgeon to complete all necessary steps for vessel isolation using one tool rather than exchanging multiple instruments, significantly reducing procedure time while maintaining reliable and safe vessel isolation
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a single instrument is used to navigate under the skin along the blood vessel, then the procedure becomes less invasive, but the instrument must perform multiple functions independently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a single surgical instrument with universal capabilities to perform grasping, cutting, and cauterizing functions independently. The grasper includes movable grasping members that can engage and manipulate different tissue types, allowing the instrument to navigate and work along the blood vessel without requiring multiple specialized tools, thus reducing invasiveness while managing complexity through integrated design
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument and a method for using the instrument are provided. The instrument can include a tubular member. A grasper can extend within the tubular member. The grasper can have grasping members each with a distal body. An opening can be formed in an inner surface of each distal body. The grasping members can pivot between an open and a closed configuration to engage a body vessel or tissue. A cutting device can extend within the tubular member. The cutting device can have a cutting member with a cutting edge. The cutting member can be movable between a free and an engaged configuration to sever a body vessel or tissue. When the grasping members are in the closed configuration, the openings of the distal bodies can form a cavity to receive the cutting member to shield the cutting member during navigation within a body of a patient.