Surgical Shunt Assembly Tool with Cylindrical Forcep Jaws
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical instruments fail to provide an effective grip for connecting CSF shunt catheter tubing to shunt valves, making it difficult to adhere to the 'no-touch' technique and increasing the risk of infections during CSF shunt surgery.
Innovation Solution
A surgical shunt assembly tool with integrated forcep jaws, featuring cylindrical and oval-shaped sections that form a secure grip around the catheter tube, preventing buckling and facilitating easy attachment to shunt valves without hand manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard surgical instruments are used for catheter connection, then the no-touch technique can be maintained, but the grip on catheter tubes is insufficient and the catheter tip buckles during attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The forcep jaw incorporates a cylindrical section with specific local geometry that matches the catheter tube diameter, creating concentrated gripping force at the optimal location. This local quality enhancement allows reliable grip on the catheter tube without damaging it, while the oval-shaped proximal ends provide additional gripping surface area for secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The cylindrical section of the forcep jaw uses curved geometry to match the circular cross-section of the catheter tube, distributing contact forces evenly around the catheter perimeter. This curved design prevents point-contact stress concentrations that would cause buckling, while still providing sufficient friction for secure gripping during attachment.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If anti-biotic soaked gauze is used for manipulation, then infection risk is reduced, but the bulk of gauze makes visualization and tactile feedback difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The forcep jaw acts as a sterile intermediary tool between the surgeon's gloved hands and the shunt components. This allows the no-touch technique to be maintained while providing direct mechanical grip on the catheter without requiring bulky antibiotic gauze, thereby preserving visualization and tactile feedback.
3Reliability
If multiple attempts are made to attach catheter to valve, then better grip can be achieved, but surgical time increases and infection risk accumulates
Solution Approach 1:
The forcep jaw is pre-configured with the cylindrical and oval-shaped gripping sections before the procedure. This preliminary design feature ensures that when the forcep is applied to the catheter, immediate secure grip is achieved without requiring multiple adjustment attempts, thereby reducing surgical time while maintaining attachment reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a surgical shunt assembly tool that provides a more efficacious grip on the catheter tubes and prevent the tip of the catheter from buckling while the catheter is pushed onto the tip of the valve during installation of shunts during CSF shunt surgery. The tool includes standard handles such as used in a shodded mosquito tool having a clamping jaw integrated into the distal end section of the handle. The distal jaw includes two forcep jaw sections each having a proximal end integrally formed with a distal end of a distal end arm section of one of the two handle arms, and a distal end section extending away from the distal end arm section. The distal end sections of the forcep jaw sections are cylindrically shaped such that when the forcep jaw is closed by bringing the two forcep jaw sections together, a cylinder is formed having a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of a catheter tube to be attached to a shunt valve tip. The proximal ends of the forcep jaw sections are oval shaped and have a size such that when the forcep jaw is closed bringing the two forcep jaw sections together, an oval shaped opening is formed having a size smaller than the diameter of the catheter tube such that the catheter tube is squeezed closed to provide a firm grip of the tool of the catheter tube.