Surgical Guide Device Proximal Distal Bendable Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laparoscopic instruments lack dexterity, making tasks like suturing and fine dissection challenging due to limited control over the tool's orientation, even with additional articulations.
Innovation Solution
A guide device with proximal and distal bendable members connected by actuation means, allowing for controlled bending of the distal member from the proximal, enhancing the surgeon's ability to manipulate the instrument with greater precision and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional laparoscopic instruments are used with fulcrum effect, then the instrument can be operated through incision, but the orientation control and dexterity are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The guide device is divided into multiple bendable members (proximal bendable member and distal bendable member) that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows the surgeon to control the orientation of the instrument shaft at different locations, providing enhanced dexterity without requiring complete redesign of the entire instrument.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide device acts as an intermediary between the surgeon's hand and the surgical instrument. By inserting the instrument into the guide device, the surgeon can manipulate the guide device's bendable members to achieve precise orientation control of the instrument shaft, effectively decoupling the control mechanism from the original instrument design.
2Ease of operation
If extra articulation is added to laparoscopic instruments, then control is improved, but the instrument complexity increases and dexterity is still insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than adding a single complex articulation mechanism, the guide device employs multiple segmented bendable members distributed along its length. Each bendable member can be controlled independently, providing fine-grained control over the instrument shaft's orientation at multiple points, which achieves superior dexterity compared to a single articulation point.
Solution Approach 2:
The bendable members enable control in multiple spatial dimensions. By bending the proximal and distal bendable members in different directions and combinations, the surgeon can achieve orientation control in three-dimensional space, allowing the instrument shaft to reach targets from various angles and orientations that would be impossible with simple articulation.
3Ease of operation
If multiple bendable members are added to guide device, then dexterity and control are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide device is segmented into distinct functional components: a rigid guide shaft for structural support, a proximal bendable member for primary orientation control, and a distal bendable member for fine-tuning the instrument shaft's distal orientation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while keeping the overall design manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide device is designed to be universal and compatible with various surgical instruments. The instrument lumen accommodates different instrument shafts, and the bendable members provide general orientation control that works with multiple instrument types, reducing the need for instrument-specific customization and simplifying the overall system.
Data Source
AI summary
An instrument guide device comprises an elongated guide shaft having proximal and distal ends and including an instrument lumen for receiving therethrough a manually operated instrument having an instrument shaft. A distal bendable member is disposed at the distal end of the guide shaft and a proximal bendable member is disposed at the proximal end of the guide shaft. Actuation means extends between the distal and proximal bendable members and provides a bending of the distal bendable member controlled from the proximal bendable member. The proximal bendable member is controlled from the manually operated instrument to cause a corresponding bending of said distal bendable member.