Surgical Thread Delivery Instrument with Protective Outer Cylinder
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Solution Overview
Problem
During laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (LPEC) surgeries for inguinal hernia, there is a risk of damaging organs such as the vas deferens, testicular artery, vein, and femoral vein due to the tip of the needle while delivering a surgical thread.
Innovation Solution
An instrument comprising a grip, an outer cylinder, a hollow needle, and a loop, where the outer cylinder is designed with a bending rigidity that allows it to peel off peritoneum from extra peritoneal tissue, reducing the risk of organ damage by housing the hollow needle and allowing flexible movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hollow needle is used to deliver surgical thread during LPEC surgery, then the surgical thread can be effectively delivered along the hernia gate, but the tip of the needle may damage organs such as vas deferens, testicular artery, vein, and femoral vein
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow needle is nested inside the outer cylinder, which acts as a protective sheath. The outer cylinder has a bent end that can peel off peritoneum from extra peritoneal tissue, allowing the needle to be delivered safely without directly exposing its sharp tip to surrounding organs. This nested structure enables the needle to be contained within a safer, more controllable outer element.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer cylinder serves as an intermediary element between the hollow needle and the surrounding organs. It provides a buffer zone and controlled interface, allowing the needle to perform its function while the bent end of the outer cylinder handles the tissue separation, reducing direct exposure of the sharp needle tip to vulnerable structures.
2Ease of operation
If the outer cylinder end is bent to peel off peritoneum from extra peritoneal tissue, then controlled movement and tissue separation are enabled, but the structural complexity of the outer cylinder increases
Solution Approach 1:
Only the end portion of the outer cylinder is bent, while the rest of the cylinder maintains its straight structure. This localized bending provides the necessary tissue separation capability at the working end, while the majority of the cylinder remains simple and straightforward in structure, minimizing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The end of the outer cylinder is bent into a curved shape rather than remaining straight. This curvature enables the peeling action of the peritoneum from extra peritoneal tissue by allowing the end to follow the natural contours of the tissue layers, providing effective tissue separation through geometric design rather than complex mechanical mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
To reduce the risk of damaging organs in a body while delivering a thread during surgery, an instrument for delivering a surgical thread has a grip, an outer cylinder fixed the grip, a hollow needle extending inside the outer cylinder and being configured to be moved relative to the outer cylinder in an axial direction and a loop configured to be housed in the outer cylinder. An end of the outer cylinder is bent in a state where force is not applied. The hollow needle is exposed from the outer cylinder when puncturing skin or etc., and the hollow needle is housed in the outer cylinder when it travels near organs which should not be damaged.