Surgical Stapler Removable Power Pack for Sterilization Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical staplers face challenges with contamination and high costs due to the need for sterilization, which can damage electronic components and increase costs when disposable, and the inefficiency of reusable powered staplers.
Innovation Solution
A fully enclosed and removable power pack for surgical staplers that prevents contact with patient fluids, allowing reuse without sterilization, and includes a motor and engagement member to facilitate staple firing and jaw articulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical staplers are made reusable with electronic components, then cost is reduced, but the electronic components are damaged by sterilization processes
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical stapler is divided into two separable parts: a reusable handle assembly containing electronic components and a disposable cartridge containing the staples and anvil. This segmentation allows the electronic components to be protected from sterilization processes while the disposable cartridge can be sterilized or discarded after use.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic components are extracted from the portion of the device that contacts the patient and requires sterilization. By placing electronics only in the handle assembly that remains outside the sterile field, the patent eliminates the need to subject electronic components to damaging sterilization processes.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If surgical staplers are made disposable to avoid sterilization risks, then infection risk is reduced, but cost increases due to discarding electronic components
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into a reusable handle assembly and a disposable cartridge. Only the cartridge that contacts patient tissue is discarded, while the expensive electronic components in the handle assembly are reused across multiple procedures, reducing waste and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a system where the disposable cartridge is discarded after single use to eliminate infection risk, while the handle assembly with electronic components is recovered and reused. This selective discarding approach minimizes both infection risk and resource waste.
3Ease of operation
If powered staplers are used to reduce force requirements, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to motor assemblies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a disposable cartridge containing simple mechanical components (staples, anvil, drive mechanism) that is discarded after use. This allows the use of powered actuation in the reusable handle without permanently complicating the disposable portion, as the complex powered mechanism remains isolated in the reusable handle assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical fastener applier including a housing containing a compartment, an elongated member extending distally from the housing, first and second jaws and a firing mechanism. The firing mechanism is movable between a first position and a second position to effect firing of fasteners into the tissue clamped between the first and second jaws. A power pack is removably loadable into the compartment, the power pack having a motor and an engagement member removably engageable with the firing mechanism within the compartment when the power pack is loaded into the compartment to effect movement of the firing mechanism. An interchangeable battery pack is removably loadable into the power pack for powering the motor. Bearings restrict axial and radial movement of the firing and articulation assembly in the power pack.