Surgical Tacker with Distal Fastener Quantity Indicator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive surgical procedures, such as hernia mesh fixation, face challenges with unpredictable fastener delivery and loss of orientation during mesh placement, leading to potential bowel adhesions, post-operative pain, and surgical errors due to the lack of a clear indicator for remaining fasteners.
Innovation Solution
A surgical tacking device with a distal indicator that shows the number of remaining fasteners, allowing surgeons to monitor delivery and distribution without taking their eyes off the scope, featuring a visible marker or electronic display that compensates for parallax and provides color-coded feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the surgeon looks away from the scope to examine the tacking device, then the surgeon can see the number of fasteners remaining, but the surgeon loses orientation of the surgical field and prolongs the operation
Solution Approach 1:
A camera mounted on the tacking device captures images of the surgical field and transmits them to a display device outside the patient's body. This intermediary system allows the surgeon to monitor the surgical field and fastener delivery status simultaneously without taking eyes off the scope, eliminating the need to look away and lose orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time visual feedback through the camera and display device, showing the surgeon both the surgical field and the number of fasteners remaining. This feedback loop allows continuous monitoring without interruption, maintaining surgical flow and preventing loss of orientation while keeping the surgeon informed of fastener status.
2Productivity
If the fasteners are delivered in rapid succession during mesh placement, then the mesh can be secured quickly, but the surgeon may lose track of fastener quantity and distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system acts as an intermediary that continuously monitors and displays both the surgical field and fastener delivery status. This allows the surgeon to maintain high productivity by delivering fasteners in rapid succession while simultaneously tracking quantity and distribution through the visual feedback provided by the camera and display device.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera and display system enable continuous monitoring of fastener delivery without interruption to the surgical workflow. The surgeon can deliver fasteners continuously in rapid succession while the system continuously provides visual feedback on quantity and distribution, maintaining uninterrupted useful action throughout the procedure.
3Loss of time
If the mesh is not fastened properly with even distribution of fasteners, then the procedure may be completed quickly, but the repair can fail and require repetition
Solution Approach 1:
The camera and display system provides continuous visual feedback on fastener distribution and mesh positioning. This allows the surgeon to monitor and adjust fastener placement in real-time to ensure even distribution and proper fastening, thereby guaranteeing repair reliability without significantly extending procedure time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual counting and visual estimation of fastener distribution with an automated camera-based monitoring and display system. This substitution provides objective, real-time information on fastener quantity and distribution, enabling the surgeon to ensure proper fastening without relying on manual tracking methods that are prone to error and time-consuming.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to tacking devices for use in minimally invasive surgery that have a quantity indicator on a distal end that can be seen through a scope and that show a number of fasteners remaining in the device. A surgeon can watch the delivery of fasteners while simultaneously seeing f a number of fasteners remaining. This allows a hernia mesh to be properly fixed into place without going astray during the delicate initial placement procedure and also for even spacing of the fasteners on the mesh. The patient's post-operative recovery progresses well, and excessive pain is avoided. Methods of the invention include viewing the surgical site via the scope while also viewing the indicator via the scope.