Surgical Handle Sterile Barrier Wireless Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical instruments face challenges in maintaining a sterile environment while allowing for the transmission of data and power across the sterile barrier, which is essential for efficient operation and safety during surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A handle assembly with a disposable outer housing that creates a sterile barrier, incorporating a wireless and wired electrical interface to transmit data and power, along with a motor assembly and actuator system that adjusts drive motions based on actuation force measurements, ensuring reliable and sterile operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sterile barrier is implemented to maintain a sterile environment, then contamination is prevented, but transmission of data and power across the barrier becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical wired connections with wireless transmission systems (electromagnetic fields) to transmit power and data across the sterile barrier. This eliminates the need for physical penetrations through the sterile barrier, maintaining sterility while enabling communication and power transfer between the sterile and non-sterile zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary wireless transmission system that mediates between the sterile and non-sterile environments. The wireless interface assembly acts as a mediator, allowing energy and information to pass through the sterile barrier without compromising the barrier's integrity or requiring physical connections that would breach sterility.
2Reliability
If wireless transmission is used to transmit power and data through the sterile barrier, then sterility is maintained, but transmission efficiency and reliability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces inefficient wired mechanical connections with wireless electromagnetic field transmission. This substitution enables power and data transmission through the sterile barrier without physical contact, maintaining sterility while providing sufficient power transfer capability for surgical instrument operation.
3Reliability
If a disposable outer housing is used to create a sterile barrier, then contamination is prevented, but the complexity of the handle assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the handle assembly into distinct segments: a disposable outer housing that creates the sterile barrier and a reusable inner core containing the control circuitry. This segmentation allows the sterile barrier to be easily replaced while retaining expensive electronic components, managing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable outer housing serves multiple functions: it creates the sterile barrier, houses the wireless transmission interface, and provides a protective enclosure. By consolidating these functions into a single component, the overall system complexity is managed more effectively.
4Power
If wired electrical interface is implemented for power transmission, then reliable power transfer is achieved, but the sterile barrier integrity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces wired electrical connections with wireless electromagnetic field-based power transmission. This eliminates the need for physical connectors that would penetrate the sterile barrier, maintaining barrier integrity while providing reliable power transfer through non-contact inductive or capacitive coupling.
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 solution effectively maintains a sterile environment while enabling the transmission of data and power, enhancing the safety and efficiency of surgical procedures by preventing contamination and ensuring precise control of surgical instruments.
Implementation Method 1
a wireless electrical interface assembly configured to effect at least one wireless transmission of at least one of data and power through the sterile barrier
Implementation Method 2
a magnetic field sensor positionable within a sufficient proximity to the magnetic field source to measure at least one parameter of a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source
Data Source
AI summary
A handle assembly for use with a surgical instrument system. The handle assembly comprises a disposable outer housing defining a sterile barrier, a control inner core receivable inside the disposable outer housing in the open configuration, a wireless electrical interface assembly, and a wired electrical interface assembly. The disposable outer housing is movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration. The disposable outer housing is configured to isolate the control inner core within the sterile barrier in the closed configuration. The wireless electrical interface assembly configured to effect a wireless transmission through the sterile barrier. The wireless electrical interface assembly comprises a first wireless-interface portion on a first side of the sterile barrier and a second wireless-interface portion on a second side of the sterile barrier opposite the first side. The wired electrical interface assembly configured to effect a wired transmission through the sterile barrier.