Surgical Instrument Linear Translation Mechanism for Precise Tool Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical instruments lack an efficient mechanism for precise linear translation, which limits their ability to accurately control the position and orientation of surgical tools during procedures.
Innovation Solution
The surgical instrument incorporates a telescoping nose mechanism with a nose tube, an intermediate unit featuring a carriage for linear translation, and a drive motor that cooperates with the carriage to enable precise linear translation along a third degree of freedom.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a traditional telescoping mechanism with threaded nose tube and rotor is used, then the instrument can achieve depth adjustment, but the manufacturing precision and reliability are insufficient for highly accurate surgical applications
Solution Approach 1:
The telescoping mechanism is divided into separate functional modules: a carriage assembly with linear bearings for precise movement, a leadscrew assembly for actuation, and a nose tube assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for precision while maintaining overall system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional threaded engagement mechanism is replaced with a leadscrew and carriage system using linear bearings. This substitution provides smoother motion, higher precision, and better controllability compared to traditional threading mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If free-hand surgical instrument operation is used without constraining mechanisms, then the ease of operation is improved, but the measurement precision and control accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities with the telescoping nose mechanism that allows real-time modification of the cutting element position along the instrument axis. This dynamic control enables precise positioning while maintaining free-hand operability, as the surgeon can adjust depth on-the-fly without constraining the overall instrument handling.
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
This solution allows for precise control of the surgical instrument's position and orientation, enhancing the accuracy and safety of surgical procedures by enabling controlled movement along multiple degrees of freedom.
Implementation Method 1
The intermediate unit includes a plurality of leadscrews each being threaded and having a driven gear at one end. The intermediate unit includes a carriage being threaded for interfacing with the leadscrews. The drive gear is configured to interface with each of the driven gears to enable rotation of each of the leadscrews such that the carriage linearly translates along the leadscrews
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument comprises a hand-held portion configured to be manipulated by a user and a pivoting portion operatively coupled to the hand-held portion. The pivoting portion is configured to pivot with respect to the hand-held portion according to first and second degrees of freedom. The pivoting portion includes an accessory drive motor, an accessory drive member configured to be driven by the accessory drive motor, a plurality of lead screws, a carriage including a central aperture axially extending through the carriage and configured to interface with and linearly translate along the plurality of lead screws, and a linear drive motor configured to rotate the plurality of lead screws to linearly translate the carriage relative to the hand-held portion with respect to a third degree of freedom. The accessory drive member extends through and is configured to move within the central aperture of the carriage.