Surgical Instrument Locking Assembly for Position Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Articulating surgical instruments often face challenges in maintaining their position during endoscopic procedures due to accidental articulation caused by handling or insertion through small incisions, which can interfere with the surgical process and tissue manipulation.
Innovation Solution
A locking assembly is integrated into the surgical instrument, featuring a pivot plate with slots and a biasing element, along with a finger mechanism that engages with the articulating tool assembly to maintain its position, preventing unintended articulation and ensuring precise control during procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the articulating tool assembly is allowed to move freely between articulated and non-articulated positions, then the surgeon can access difficult surgical sites more easily, but the tool assembly may inadvertently move from its non-articulated position during insertion or handling, interfering with the surgical procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The locking assembly includes a movable locking member that can transition between locked and unlocked states. When unlocked, the articulating tool assembly can articulate freely; when locked, it maintains a fixed position. This dynamic switching mechanism resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to adapt its degree of freedom based on procedural needs while ensuring position stability when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member is biased by a spring to automatically engage with the articulating tool assembly, maintaining its position without requiring continuous active control. The system self-regulates by using the spring force to keep the locking member in engagement, providing inherent position stability while allowing deliberate articulation when the surgeon actuates the release mechanism.
2Reliability
If the locking member is engaged with the articulating tool assembly, then the position stability is improved, but the articulation capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The locking assembly is designed with a movable locking member that can be easily actuated to switch between locked and unlocked states. This dynamic design allows the system to transition between high stability (locked) and high adaptability (unlocked) states as needed, resolving the contradiction by making the degree of constraint adjustable rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member acts as an intermediary element between the handle portion and the articulating tool assembly. It mediates the relationship by providing selective constraint - allowing motion when unlocked and preventing motion when locked - thus enabling the system to achieve both position stability and articulation capability through a single controllable mechanism.
3Reliability
If the locking assembly is added to maintain position, then the position stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking assembly is integrated into the existing structure of the surgical instrument, with the locking member being part of the handle portion and the biasing element incorporated within the same housing. This merging of functions reduces overall device complexity by combining the locking, biasing, and articulation control functions into a unified assembly rather than adding separate independent mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded locking member automatically engages and disengages based on the position and movement of the articulating tool assembly, reducing the need for complex control mechanisms. The self-actuating nature of the locking assembly through spring biasing simplifies the overall device by eliminating the need for additional motors, sensors, or complex control systems to maintain position stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument including a handle portion, a body portion, an articulating tool assembly and a locking assembly is disclosed. The handle portion includes a movable handle. The body portion extends distally from the handle portion and defines a first longitudinal axis. The articulating tool assembly defines a second longitudinal axis and is movable from a first position where the second longitudinal axis is substantially aligned with the first longitudinal axis to at least a second position where the second longitudinal axis is at an angle to the first longitudinal axis. The locking assembly includes a member that is advanceable distally with respect to the body portion. The member engages the articulating tool assembly upon manipulation of the movable handle to move an anvil and a cartridge assembly in approximation with one another to help maintain the articulating tool assembly in its first position.