Surgical Instrument Switching Section for Force Transmission
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical instruments with endoscope configurations face challenges in efficiently transmitting driving forces to flexible pulling members, leading to issues like opposite direction movement and increased complexity due to the need for multiple power sources and manual manipulation, which complicates the bending mechanism and increases apparatus size.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument design featuring a switching section with a pinion that switches between two transmission states to transmit force to either a first or second pulling member, using flexible linear members connected to a treatment section, and a tension-applying section to manage tension and prevent slack, allowing for efficient force transmission without the need for multiple power sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a set of racks constituted by two racks connected to each other by a pinion is used to transmit driving force to two curving manipulation wires, then the driving force can be transmitted to both wires, but the wires advance and retract in opposite directions and the apparatus size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the driving force transmission function into a single rack that can engage with the pinion at different positions. Instead of using two separate racks for two wires, one rack serves both wires by transmitting force to one wire when engaged at a first position and to the other wire when engaged at a second position, thereby reducing apparatus size while maintaining the capability to drive multiple wires.
Solution Approach 2:
The single rack is designed to perform multiple functions: it can transmit driving force to the first curving manipulation wire when the pinion engages at the first position, and transmit driving force to the second curving manipulation wire when the pinion engages at the second position. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate racks for each wire, reducing overall apparatus size.
2Ease of operation
If multiple power sources are used to operate multiple pulling members independently, then each pulling member can be operated separately, but the device complexity and apparatus size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple power sources into a single power source that can operate both the first and second pulling members. The single power source transmits driving force through a switching mechanism that directs the force to either the first rack section or the second rack section, enabling independent operation of multiple pulling members without requiring multiple separate power sources, thereby reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a switching mechanism as an intermediary between the single power source and the multiple pulling members. This switching mechanism (comprising the pinion that can engage with different rack sections) acts as a mediator that distributes the driving force from one power source to multiple pulling members in a controlled manner, enabling independent operation while avoiding the need for multiple power sources.
3Device complexity
If a single power source is used to transmit force to multiple pulling members, then the apparatus size is reduced, but the force transmission reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The switching mechanism serves as a reliable intermediary that ensures force transmission reliability. When the pinion engages with the first rack section, driving force is reliably transmitted to the first pulling member; when it engages with the second rack section, force is reliably transmitted to the second pulling member. This mechanical switching ensures that at any given time, the full driving force from the single power source is transmitted to the selected pulling member without loss or interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the force transmission path into distinct engagement positions on the rack. The rack has a first rack section and a second rack section that are spatially separated. The pinion can engage with one section at a time, creating segmented transmission paths that ensure reliable force transmission to the selected pulling member while preventing force transmission to the other pulling member, thereby maintaining reliability with a single power source.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument has a treatment section, a first pulling section and a second pulling section configured to transmit a pulling force to the treatment section, a power source configured to generate force for operating the treatment section, and a switching section having a first path configured to transmit the force from the power source to the first pulling member and a second path configured to transmit the force from the power source to the second pulling member and configured to switch the first path and the second path.