Surgical Instrument Spaced-Apart Hinge Jaw Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical instruments with pivotally supported jaws and a knife face challenges in precision guidance and tissue sealing due to the arrangement of the hinge region and knife placement, leading to inefficiencies in mechanical force transmission and tissue grasping.
Innovation Solution
The surgical instrument features two pivotally supported jaws with spaced-apart hinges, allowing for increased axial guide length and a knife that does not extend through the hinge axes, enabling precise guidance and improved tissue sealing by altering the force requirements for jaw closure and providing a larger tissue receiving range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a shared hinge axis is used for both jaws, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision and guidance precision of jaw movement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The single shared hinge axis is segmented into two separate hinge axes (first hinge axis for first jaw, second hinge axis for second jaw). This segmentation allows each jaw to be independently guided with greater precision while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular hinge design.
2Area of stationary object
If the hinge axes are moved closer together, then the device size is reduced, but the tissue receiving range deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge axes are arranged in a specific spatial configuration (spaced apart in transverse direction but positioned at different longitudinal locations). This three-dimensional arrangement allows the device to maintain a compact overall size while providing sufficient tissue receiving range through the spatial separation of hinge axes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the hinge axes are spaced further apart, then the tissue receiving range is enlarged, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The jaw support is segmented into multiple sections (first section, second section, third section) with hinges positioned at different locations along the longitudinal axis. This segmentation allows the hinge axes to be spaced apart to enlarge tissue receiving range while distributing the mechanical complexity across modular sections.
4Device complexity
If a knife is positioned to extend through the hinge axes, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision and guidance precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A knife guide structure serves as an intermediary element between the knife and the hinge axes. The knife guide (including guide slots in jaw supports) provides precise guidance for the knife without requiring the knife to directly extend through the hinge axes, thereby maintaining both simple knife arrangement and high guidance precision.
Data Source
AI summary
An instrument (10) having a tool (15) of a particularly simple design comprises jaws (16, 17) with jaw supports (46) supported by spaced-apart hinges on a shared socket part 18. The hinge axes (27, 28) of the hinges are oriented parallel relative to each other and are at a distance from each other. A slit (24) for precisely guiding a knife (25) may be provided between the two. The jaw supports (46) of the jaws (16, 17) are guided in their own hinges with minimal play and hence in a precise manner. They are held against each other by transverse interlocking means (37), thereby ensuring a simple assembly and precise guiding.