Surgical Tool End Effector V-Guide Thread Severance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing minimally invasive surgical tools face challenges in accurately severing surgical threads during suturing operations due to the lightweight and small diameter of the threads, which can lead to premature cutting or trapping, causing delays and suture failures.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a needle driver with a bladed cutting feature in surgical tools, where the suture is securely held within the cutting region until severed and then freely released, reducing the risk of premature cutting and post-severing binding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bladed cutting instrument is used to sever surgical thread, then the surgical thread can be cut, but the lightweight and small diameter of the thread causes it to be squeezed and moved along the blade cutting surface until it is pushed off the cutting surface or out the end of the instrument
Solution Approach 1:
A V-shaped guide structure acts as an intermediary between the blade and the surgical thread. The guide's V-shaped configuration with a predetermined opening angle directs the thread onto the blade cutting surface and maintains proper positioning during cutting, preventing the thread from being squeezed off or pushed out of the instrument.
2Productivity
If the surgical thread is successfully severed, then the cutting operation is complete, but the severed end of the thread may become trapped between the opposed blades of the cutting instrument leading to a delay in the surgical procedure or suture failure
Solution Approach 1:
The V-shaped guide structure extracts or removes the severed thread end from between the opposed blades by directing it through its V-shaped configuration. This prevents the severed thread end from becoming trapped between the blades, eliminating delays and suture failures.
3Weight of moving object
If the surgical thread is lightweight and small in diameter, then it is suitable for minimally invasive surgery, but it can be easily moved when an external force is applied to it
Solution Approach 1:
The V-shaped guide structure serves as a mediator that provides mechanical support and directional control for the lightweight surgical thread. By channeling the thread through its V-shaped geometry, the guide compensates for the thread's light weight and small diameter, preventing it from being easily moved or displaced during the cutting operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Surgical tools that are capable of both manipulating a needle and cutting surgical thread during a suturing operation can sometimes be problematic due to an inability to sever the suture during a suturing operation. Surgical tools and end effectors, which are designed to secure the suture within the cutting region of the end effector until severed and then allow the suture to be freely released can substantially mitigate this issue. Such surgical tools may comprise an end effector with a first and second jaw with an incorporated cutting body. The cutting body of the first and second jaw may have a substantially flat portion followed by a curved concave and convex portion that is designed to trap the surgical thread within the cutting portion.