Surgical Sliding Shaft Instrument Cleaning Gap Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical sliding shaft instruments face challenges in cleaning due to direct contact between shaft parts, allowing liquid ingress and making thorough cleaning and sterilization difficult without disassembly.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a cleaning gap between the shaft parts, with flushing openings on the second shaft part, and a guide device with form-fitting guide elements to facilitate easy cleaning and prevent liquid ingress, along with a two-part design for the second shaft part allowing for optimal material selection and cost-effective production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the two shaft parts are in direct contact with one another, then the guide device provides stable guidance, but liquid can be sucked in between the shaft parts during cleaning or use, making it impossible to remove without disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The contact interface between shaft parts is segmented into a guide area with direct contact for stability and a cleaning gap area with spaced separation for cleanability. The guide elements are positioned only in the guide area, while the cleaning gap allows liquid flow through the shaft assembly without disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the shaft parts have different spatial relationships: the guide area has direct contact between shaft parts for stable guidance, while the cleaning gap region has spaced separation to prevent liquid entrapment. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between stability and cleanability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the shaft parts are spaced apart to allow cleaning, then liquid ingress is prevented, but the guidance between shaft parts may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft assembly is segmented into distinct functional zones: a guide area where shaft parts contact for stable guidance, and a cleaning gap area where shaft parts are spaced apart to allow liquid flow. This segmentation maintains both guidance reliability and cleanability.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide elements (guide groove and guide projection) act as intermediaries that provide stable guidance in the guide area while allowing the cleaning gap to remain open for liquid flow. The guide elements mediate between the need for contact stability and the need for separation for cleaning.
3Ease of manufacture
If flushing openings are added to enable cleaning, then liquid ingress is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flushing openings serve multiple functions: they allow liquid flow through the shaft assembly during cleaning, prevent liquid entrapment between shaft parts, and maintain the structural integrity of the shaft. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by providing comprehensive cleaning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft parts are segmented to include flushing openings that create fluid communication paths. These openings are strategically positioned to allow liquid flow through the assembly without requiring disassembly, resolving the contradiction between cleanability and structural simplicity.
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
Enables effective cleaning and sterilization of the sliding shaft instrument without disassembly, preventing liquid ingress and allowing for efficient removal of contaminants, while optimizing material usage and reducing manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
The guide elements are designed to engage in a form-fitting manner, utilizing friction between the contacting surfaces to maintain precise alignment and control the relative movement between shaft parts
Implementation Method 2
The cleaning gap advantageously has a size, in particular a width, which is sufficient to prevent the occurrence of a capillary effect for a cleaning liquid. A width of the cleaning gap is preferably in a range between 0.2 mm and 2 mm.
Data Source
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AI summary
The shaft (12) has a guiding device (30) comprising two guiding elements (32, 38) that are arranged at two shaft parts (14, 18), respectively. One of the guiding elements cooperates with the other guiding element, and guides one of the shaft parts relative to the other shaft part. The guiding elements are pointed away and/or laterally opened in a direction from the former shaft part that comprises a tool part and a slide part. The tool part is made of metal i.e. instrument steel, and the slide part is made of metal i.e. instrument steel, or plastic. An independent claim is also included for a surgical slide shaft instrument comprising an instrument handle.