Surgical Knife Limit Button for Controlled Vessel Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical instruments face challenges in determining the integrity of vessel sealing at the tip of jaw members, especially in robotic-assisted surgery, leading to potential incomplete sealing and tissue cutting issues due to difficulties in accurately controlling pressure and gap distance.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument with a knife limit button that limits the translation of a knife blade within a knife channel, allowing for controlled cutting based on predefined thresholds and feedback from sensors, ensuring proper tissue sealing by adjusting the knife's travel length and preventing full deployment until a secure seal is achieved.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the knife is allowed to translate fully to the distal portion of the jaw member, then complete tissue cutting is achieved, but the risk of incomplete sealing and tissue bleeding increases
Solution Approach 1:
The knife translation distance is made dynamically adjustable through the knife limit button, which can be positioned at different locations along the knife channel to control the distal extent of knife translation. This allows the system to adapt between complete cutting and partial cutting based on sealing requirements
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors detect tissue seal quality and provide feedback to the control system, which automatically adjusts the knife limit button position or triggers an alert to the operator. This closed-loop feedback ensures cutting is limited only after successful sealing is confirmed
2Reliability
If the knife translation is limited to a position proximal to the distal portion, then vessel sealing integrity is improved, but complete tissue cutting may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides dynamic control over knife translation distance, allowing the operator or control system to adjust the knife limit button position based on real-time sealing assessment, enabling optimization between sealing safety and cutting completeness
Solution Approach 2:
The knife translation parameter is made variable through the adjustable knife limit button, which changes the effective cutting length based on sealing outcomes. This parameter adjustment allows tailoring the cutting depth to match the actual sealing quality achieved
3Reliability
If automatic knife translation control based on sensor feedback is implemented, then sealing reliability is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors monitor tissue seal quality during the sealing process and provide feedback to the control system, which automatically adjusts knife translation limits or alerts the operator, reducing reliance on manual assessment and improving consistency
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-assessment of sealing quality through integrated sensors and automatically makes decisions about knife translation limits, reducing the need for complex external monitoring systems and manual intervention
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 enables precise control over the cutting process, reducing the risk of incomplete sealing and tissue bleeding by automatically limiting knife travel based on tissue seal quality and sensor feedback, enhancing the reliability of vessel sealing in both endoscopic and robotic surgical systems.
Implementation Method 1
Electrosurgical forceps utilize both mechanical clamping action and electrical energy to affect hemostasis by heating the tissue and blood vessels to coagulate, cauterize and/or seal tissue
Data Source
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AI summary
A knife limit for a surgical instrument includes a housing having a shaft extending therefrom configured to support an end effector at a distal end thereof, the end effector including first and second jaw members. One or both of the jaw members including a knife channel defined therein and extending therealong to a distal portion thereof. A knife assembly is disposed within the housing and cooperates with a trigger to translate a knife within the knife channel to the distal portion of the jaw member upon actuation thereof. A knife limit button is disposed within the housing and is configured to limit the distal translation of the knife within the knife channel upon selective actuation thereof. The knife limit button is movable between a first position allowing full translation of the knife within the knife channel and a second position limiting distal translation of the knife within the knife channel.