Surgical lens cleaning device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical lens cleaning solutions are inadequate for maintaining visual clarity in minimally invasive surgery, particularly for flexible and robotic surgical cameras, as they often require removal from the body cavity, disrupting surgical flow and potentially jeopardizing patient safety.
Innovation Solution
A modular lens cleaning device featuring a housing with a wiper mechanism driven by Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires, which moves across the lens to sweep away debris, maintaining visual clarity without removing the camera from the body cavity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the camera is removed from the body cavity for lens cleaning, then the lens can be cleaned externally, but the surgical procedure is interrupted and efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The lens cleaning device enables the camera lens to clean itself through an integrated wiper mechanism that can be actuated during surgery. The wiper is mechanically connected to the camera assembly and can be deployed to wipe the lens surface without requiring removal of the camera from the body cavity, thus maintaining continuous surgical workflow while ensuring effective lens cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The wiper mechanism is nested within the camera housing structure. The wiper blade is stored in a retracted position within the camera body and can be extended or deployed to contact the lens surface when cleaning is needed. This nested configuration allows the cleaning function to be integrated into the existing camera assembly without requiring separate external cleaning devices or procedures.
2Reliability
If chemical coatings are applied to prevent contamination, then lens contamination is reduced, but contamination prevention cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper mechanism is pre-positioned and ready for immediate deployment to prevent contamination accumulation. Rather than relying solely on chemical coatings that may degrade or fail, the mechanical wiper provides an active preliminary cleaning action that can be triggered when contamination is detected or at scheduled intervals, ensuring reliable prevention of vision obstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a passive chemical coating approach to an active mechanical cleaning approach by changing the operational parameter from chemical prevention to mechanical removal. The wiper can be actuated on-demand to physically remove contaminants, providing a more reliable and controllable cleaning mechanism that complements or replaces chemical coating strategies.
3Ease of operation
If a wiper mechanism is integrated into the camera, then in vivo cleaning is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lens cleaning function is segmented as a separate, modular wiper mechanism that can be independently controlled and actuated. The wiper system includes distinct components (wiper blade, actuation mechanism, housing) that are functionally separated from the main camera imaging components, allowing for independent operation and simplifying the overall system architecture despite the added functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The wiper mechanism incorporates dynamic elements that allow it to adapt to the lens surface and cleaning requirements. The wiper blade may include flexible materials or adjustable positioning mechanisms that enable it to conform to the lens curvature and maintain effective contact during the wiping motion, ensuring reliable cleaning while managing the complexity through adaptive design.
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 device ensures uninterrupted visual guidance by actively preventing debris accumulation and smoke evacuation, reducing surgical interruptions and enhancing safety by maintaining clear visualization within the body cavity.
Implementation Method 1
at least one SMA wire mechanically associated with the wiper. When the SMA wire is activated, the wiper is moved between the first position and the second position of the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A lens cleaning device includes: a housing shaped to fit over an end of a camera lens; a wiper movably attached to the housing, the wiper movable across the housing from a first position adjacent a first side of the housing to a second position adjacent a second side of the housing; and at least one SMA wire mechanically associated with the wiper. When the SMA wire is activated, the wiper is moved between the first position and the second position of the housing such that the wiper sweeps debris from a field of view of the camera lens.