Flexible Surgical Device Stiffness Control via Inner Element Translation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical devices face challenges in achieving precise and accurate control of stiffness during insertion into biological tissues, which is crucial for navigating curved paths near vital organs with millimeter-accuracy, especially when using passive approaches that rely on tissue interaction and variable stiffness.
Innovation Solution
The surgical device features a tubular outer shaft with multiple hinges having distinct stiffness configurations and an inner element that can move angularly and axially, allowing for controlled stiffness modulation by translating and rotating relative to the outer shaft, enabling precise adaptation of the distal end's stiffness during insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the surgical device uses a passive approach with variable stiffness control, then the device can adapt to tissue interaction and navigate curved paths, but the precision and accuracy of stiffness control is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical device is divided into multiple segments with independent stiffness control. The shaft is segmented into multiple sections, each capable of independent bending, allowing precise control of stiffness at different locations. This segmentation enables the device to navigate complex curved paths while maintaining accurate control over each segment's mechanical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates dynamic stiffness adjustment mechanisms that allow real-time modification of stiffness characteristics. The shaft includes expandable or contractable elements that can dynamically change their rigidity in response to tissue interaction, enabling adaptive navigation through varying tissue densities while maintaining precise control over the stiffness trajectory.
2Ease of operation
If the device structure is simplified for ease of operation, then the device is easier to manipulate, but the precision of path navigation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical device employs a nested structure where an inner element is positioned within an outer shaft. The inner element can move relative to the outer shaft, creating a nested configuration that provides both structural simplicity for ease of manipulation and internal complexity for precise path control. This nested arrangement allows the distal end to follow precise curved paths while the proximal end remains simple for easy handling.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the device have different mechanical properties optimized for their specific functions. The distal end has enhanced flexibility and precision for accurate target engagement, while the proximal end maintains simplicity for ease of manipulation. This local differentiation of mechanical qualities allows each region to be optimized independently, achieving both ease of operation and high precision path navigation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the inner element moves freely in the outer shaft, then the stiffness control range is maximized, but the structural stability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The device includes preliminary positioning structures that establish stable reference points before the inner element begins its movement. The outer shaft contains guiding features and positioning elements that pre-establish the spatial relationship between inner and outer components, ensuring structural stability is maintained even as the inner element moves to different positions to achieve various stiffness configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary structure is introduced between the inner element and outer shaft to mediate their interaction. This intermediary component allows the inner element to move relative to the outer shaft for stiffness adjustment while maintaining structural stability through controlled engagement. The intermediary acts as a buffer that transmits motion while preserving structural integrity, enabling both flexibility in stiffness control and stability in the overall configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical device, including a tubular outer shaft and an inner element having an elongated shape, the outer shaft comprising a distal and a proximal outer hinges, the inner element comprising an inner hinge, the surgical device having: a first and a second distal stiffnesses considered at the distal outer hinge; and first and second proximal stiffnesses considered at the proximal outer hinge; each of the second distal and proximal stiffnesses being superior to, respectively, the first distal and proximal stiffness; the inner element being able to move angularly and/or axially in the tubular outer shaft, between a first configuration and a second configuration, so that in the first configuration, the surgical device has the second distal stiffness and the first proximal stiffness.