Surgical Instrument Timing Indicator for Tissue Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical cutting and stapling devices lack the ability to monitor the elapsed time between actions without restricting the clinician's flexibility to initiate the stapling process, and they often fail to account for tissue liquid drainage, which can impede staple formation.
Innovation Solution
A surgical cutting and fastening instrument with a timing indicator system that includes a series of indicator lights and a control circuit to provide real-time elapsed time feedback, allowing the clinician to monitor time without diverting attention from the surgical site while maintaining the ability to activate the device at any time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a controller delays the firing of staples until a predetermined amount of time has elapsed after clamping, then tissue liquid drainage is improved, but the clinician's flexibility to fire the device at any time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a timing indicator system that provides visual feedback to the clinician about the elapsed time since clamping. This feedback mechanism allows the clinician to make informed decisions about when to fire, balancing the need for tissue drainage with operational flexibility. The indicator lights show time progression without preventing early firing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static predetermined delay mechanism to a dynamic timing indication system. The timing indicator can be reset by the clinician at any point, making the system adaptable to changing surgical conditions while still providing guidance on optimal firing timing for tissue drainage.
2Manufacturing precision
If the clinician monitors the elapsed time between actions, then tissue handling precision is improved, but the clinician's attention from the surgical site is diverted
Solution Approach 1:
The timing indicator system is self-service in that it automatically tracks and displays elapsed time without requiring clinician intervention or attention. The system serves itself by providing continuous visual feedback, freeing the clinician to focus on the surgical site while still maintaining precise timing awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the need for manual time monitoring with an automated electronic timing and indication system. This substitution eliminates the cognitive burden on the clinician while providing precise timing information through visual indicators.
3Productivity
If the tissue is cut too quickly after it is clamped, then surgical efficiency is improved, but staple formation is impeded by liquid traversing out of the tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The timing indicator system prepares the clinician by showing when the optimal firing time has been reached, allowing tissue liquids to drain sufficiently before stapling. This preliminary timing indication ensures reliable staple formation while minimizing delay to surgical efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical instrument is disclosed. According to various embodiments, the instrument includes a handle assembly and a drive system that is at least partially supported by the handle assembly. A surgical implement may be operably coupled to the handle assembly for receiving at least two independent drive motions from the drive system to cause the surgical implement to perform at least two surgical activities. The instrument may further include a timing indicator on at east one of the handle assembly and the surgical implement to provide an indication of an amount of time that has elapsed from an application of one of the control motions while maintaining an ability to selectively apply a second control motion after the first control motion has been applied.