Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument Movable Sheath Depth Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ultrasonic surgical instruments face challenges in controlling energy and vibrations, which can unintentionally damage surrounding tissue and bone, and existing safety features like sheaths obstruct the surgeon's view, making it difficult to gauge incision depth.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument design featuring a housing with a transducer and end-effector that includes a movable sheath with a ratchet mechanism and depth indicator, allowing for adjustable sheath position and clear visualization of the surgical site, enabling precise control of end-effector depth and preventing accidental tissue or bone contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sheath is extended around the end-effector to prevent unintentional contact with tissue or bone, then safety is improved, but the surgeon's view of the surgical site is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The sheath is designed to be movable between extended and retracted positions, allowing the surgeon to adjust the level of protection versus visibility as needed during the surgical procedure. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by enabling both safety and visibility at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath can be positioned at different depths along the end-effector, allowing selective coverage of specific portions while leaving other portions exposed for visualization. This segmentation enables simultaneous safety protection and surgical visibility.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the sheath is extended to prevent unintentional contact, then tissue damage is reduced, but the depth of incisions cannot be readily ascertained
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument includes depth indicators that provide visual feedback to the surgeon about the position of the end-effector and sheath, enabling accurate depth measurement even when the sheath is extended for safety protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath acts as an intermediary element between the end-effector and surrounding tissue, providing safety protection while depth indicators serve as another intermediary to convey position information to the surgeon, resolving both safety and measurement needs.
3Power
If ultrasonic vibrations are transmitted at high energy levels to cut and coagulate tissue, then cutting effectiveness is improved, but unintentional damage to surrounding tissue and bone increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sheath is extended to cover portions of the end-effector that are not intended for cutting, effectively extracting or isolating the high-energy ultrasonic vibrations to only the intended cutting zone, thereby preventing damage to surrounding tissue while maintaining cutting effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath provides localized protection around specific portions of the end-effector, allowing high-energy ultrasonic vibrations to be concentrated at the cutting tip while surrounding areas are protected, creating different functional zones along the end-effector length.
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 provides precise control over the end-effector's depth, reducing the risk of unintended tissue or bone damage while maintaining clear visibility for the surgeon, thus enhancing the safety and efficacy of ultrasonic surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
ultrasonic vibrations, i.e., mechanical vibrations transmitted to a surgical end-effector at ultrasonic frequencies
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument is disclosed comprising a housing, a transducer supported within the housing, an end-effector engaged with the transducer, and a clamp including a jaw member movably supported relative to the end-effector between an open position and a closed position. The transducer is configured to produce vibrations. The end-effector defines an axis and a distal tip. The distal tip is movable relative to the axis by vibrations produced by the transducer. The end-effector is configured to be detached from the transducer. The transducer is configured to receive a different end-effector.