Surgical Latch Assembly Lever Design for Secure Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical clip appliers lack a reliable and efficient mechanism for securely engaging and disengaging elongated assemblies, which limits their versatility and ease of use during surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A latch assembly with a lever having a distal engagement section, an intermediate section, and a proximal manipulatable section, including a pivot pin and a biasing member, that securely engages and disengages the elongated assembly with the handle assembly, allowing for easy switching between different surgical tasks and configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a latch assembly mechanism is added to secure elongated assemblies, then reliability of engagement is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latch assembly is divided into distinct functional sections: a lever with manipulatable section for user interaction, an intermediate section for pivoting motion, and a distal engagement section for securing the elongated assembly. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing member automatically returns the lever to the engaged position after disengagement, providing self-service functionality. The mechanism itself performs the resetting action without requiring additional actuators or complex control systems, thereby improving reliability while minimizing added complexity.
2Ease of operation
If a manipulatable lever section is designed for easy user interaction, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The proximal section of the lever is specifically designed with an exterior surface optimized for user interaction, while the distal section maintains structural functionality for engagement. This local differentiation allows the manipulatable portion to be ergonomically optimized without compromising the engagement mechanism, improving ease of operation with minimal impact on overall complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple handle assemblies are used for different surgical tasks, then adaptability is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latch assembly is designed to universally engage various types of elongated assemblies through its distal engagement section. This universal interface allows a single handle assembly to perform multiple surgical tasks by simply changing the attached elongated assembly, thereby achieving adaptability without the time loss associated with swapping entire handle assemblies.
4Manufacturing precision
If a monolithic lever is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is constructed as a monolithic piece that integrates the manipulatable proximal section, the intermediate pivoting section, and the distal engagement section into a single unified component. This merging eliminates the need for additional joints or connections between lever sections, improving manufacturing precision while actually reducing overall device complexity by eliminating extra parts and assembly steps.
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 latch assembly enables secure engagement and disengagement of elongated assemblies, enhancing the versatility and usability of surgical clip appliers by allowing for repeated use of handle assemblies with various elongated components, reducing the need for multiple handle assemblies and simplifying surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member operably coupled to the pivot pin
Data Source
AI summary
A latch assembly for a surgical instrument includes a lever having a distal engagement section, an intermediate section, and a proximal manipulatable section. The proximal manipulatable section includes an exterior surface including lateral sides, a side wall depending from the exterior surface along the lateral sides of the exterior surface and about a proximal end of the exterior surface, a lip extending from the side wall to define a shelf extending outwardly from the side wall along the lateral sides of the exterior surface and about the proximal end of the exterior surface, and a proximal stop disposed on the shelf at the proximal end of the exterior surface and extending towards the exterior surface.