Disposable Surgical Stapler Knife Pivot and Spring Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electromechanical surgical devices are costly to manufacture and operate, and their complex power transmission mechanisms can lead to unintended operation, potentially causing damage or injury due to inadvertent actuation, necessitating a need for more affordable and safe surgical systems with effective electromechanical transmission and safety lockout assemblies.
Innovation Solution
A surgical stapling system featuring a cartridge assembly with a sled assembly that includes cam wedges for firing fasteners and a knife mount with a pivotally coupled knife, where the knife is positioned to pivot from below to above the tissue-contacting surface, supported by a spring mechanism for safe tissue cutting, and includes a blocking arm and stabilizing finger for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If complex electromechanical linkages are used to transmit power from handle assemblies to disposable loading units, then the surgical device can achieve desired operational functions, but the complexity increases the risk of inadvertent actuation and unintended operation
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical system is divided into a reusable handle assembly and a disposable loading unit that can be selectively connected and disconnected. This segmentation isolates the complex electromechanical linkages to the disposable portion, which is then discarded after use, eliminating the risk of inadvertent actuation in the reusable handle assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The loading unit is designed as a disposable component that is connected to the handle assembly only when needed and then discarded after a single use. This eliminates the need to repeatedly sterilize and reassemble complex electromechanical linkages, reducing the risk of unintended operation while maintaining full operational functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If expensive electromechanical surgical devices with complex power transmission mechanisms are manufactured, then desired operational capability is achieved, but manufacturing and operating costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the expensive reusable handle assembly from the disposable loading unit, the system allows manufacturers to optimize each component independently. The handle assembly can be manufactured once with high-quality electromechanical components, while the loading unit can be produced more economically as a single-use component.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable loading unit eliminates the need for expensive sterilization processes and repeated quality assurance testing that would be required for reusable components. This significantly reduces manufacturing and operating costs while maintaining full operational capability during the single use.
3Reliability
If the knife is positioned below the tissue-contacting surface, then safety is improved by preventing unintended cutting, but the ability to perform cutting function is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The knife is designed to be movable between a retracted position below the tissue-contacting surface and an extended position above it. This dynamic positioning allows the system to maintain safety during storage and transport while enabling the cutting function when needed. The knife can be actuated to extend through the cartridge assembly to contact tissue for cutting.
Solution Approach 2:
The knife is pre-positioned in a safe retracted location below the tissue-contacting surface before use. This preliminary positioning ensures safety during handling and loading, while the system is designed to allow controlled extension of the knife to the cutting position when the surgical procedure requires it.
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
The system provides a cost-effective and safe surgical stapling solution by ensuring precise control over the knife's position and operation, reducing the risk of unintended actuation and tissue damage, while allowing for efficient stapling and cutting of tissue.
Implementation Method 1
the knife is coupled to a spring that is engaged with the knife mount and with a distal foot of the knife arm to urge the distal foot of the knife arm distally so that the blade is urged toward the first position
Implementation Method 2
the sled assembly including an actuation sled having a plurality of cam wedges and being slidably advanceable along the cartridge assembly to fire the fasteners from the cartridge as the pushers cam along the cam wedges of the sled assembly
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical device includes a jaw assembly, an articulating assembly and a drive shaft. The jaw assembly includes first and second jaws. The articulating assembly is removably coupled to a proximal end of the jaw assembly and includes a distal joint member, a proximal joint member, and a pivot pin. The pivot pin is fixedly coupled to the distal joint member and is rotatably coupled to the proximal joint member. The jaw assembly and the distal joint member together define a first longitudinal axis. The proximal joint member defines a second longitudinal axis. The drive shaft includes a gear element that is meshingly engaged with a pivoting gear element that is fixedly coupled to the pivot pin. Longitudinal movement of the first drive shaft pivots the jaw assembly relative to the proximal joint member about a pivot axis defined by the pivot pin.