Surgical Shaft Lengthwise Opening for Cable Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic surgical systems face difficulties in cleaning, sterilizing, and servicing due to the complexity of routing cables through hollow shafts, which leads to incomplete removal of bodily fluids and time-consuming processes.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of lengthwise openings in the outer surface of the shaft allows for easier insertion and removal of force transmitting members, enabling more thorough cleaning and quicker assembly by using a sleeve to contain the cables, facilitating direct application of cleaning substances along the shaft's length.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If cables are routed through the hollow interior of the shaft, then the shaft can be designed with a simple hollow tube structure, but cleaning and sterilizing the hollow interior becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the shaft structure into two separate components: a hollow shaft tube and a cable housing. The cable housing contains the cables and is inserted into the hollow shaft tube, creating distinct separable sections. This segmentation allows the cable housing to be removed and cleaned separately, solving the difficulty of cleaning the hollow interior while maintaining the simple hollow tube structure of the shaft.
2Ease of manufacture
If cables are routed through the hollow interior of the shaft, then the shaft maintains a simple hollow tube design, but routing the cables through the lengthy interior becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The cable housing is separated from the hollow shaft tube and can be independently assembled. Cables are routed within the cable housing rather than through the hollow shaft interior, allowing cable routing to occur during the assembly process rather than requiring post-manufacturing cable installation through the shaft length.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable housing is pre-assembled with cables routed and secured before being inserted into the hollow shaft tube. This preliminary cable routing and assembly eliminates the time-consuming process of threading cables through the lengthy shaft interior after the shaft is manufactured.
3Ease of manufacture
If a hollow tube structure is used, then the shaft can be easily manufactured, but bodily fluids tend to flow into the hollow interior making cleaning incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The cable housing is inserted into the hollow shaft tube and extends beyond both ends of the tube. This segmentation creates a configuration where the cable housing protrudes from the shaft, allowing cleaning substances to access and thoroughly clean the cable housing surfaces that would otherwise be hidden within the hollow interior.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable housing is positioned to extend beyond the ends of the hollow shaft tube in the longitudinal dimension. This dimensional extension exposes previously internal surfaces to external cleaning access, allowing cleaning substances to reach all surfaces of the cable housing from the outside rather than requiring internal cleaning access.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
An endoscopic surgical assembly houses at least one force transmitting member that is connected to a surgical attachment supported on the endoscopic surgical assembly. The endoscopic surgical assembly includes an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end configured for connection to a surgical attachment. At least one longitudinal cavity is formed in an outer surface of the elongate shaft and extends between the proximal and distal ends of the elongate shaft. The at least one longitudinal cavity is configured for disposal of the at least one force transmitting member therein such that the at least one force transmitting member is translatable relative to the elongate shaft.