Surgical Power Tool Actuation Assembly with Damping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional surgical power tools with mechanical actuation assemblies face challenges in sterilization due to the difficulty in sealing against liquid or gaseous sterilization media, leading to reduced operability and potential damage.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a force sensor with a mechanical damping member and a sealed capsule design, which includes a carrier component and a signal processing circuit, to enable sterilization while maintaining operability and protecting against impacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If mechanical actuation assemblies with moving components are used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to difficulty in sealing against sterilization media

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidreliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical actuation assemblies with moving components (slide switches, tumbler switches, rotary knobs) with an actuation assembly based on a force sensor that has no moving mechanical elements. The force sensor detects actuation force directly, eliminating the need for mechanical moving parts that are difficult to seal against sterilization media, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a flexible housing section that can be sealed to protect the force sensor from sterilization media. This flexible sealing approach allows the actuation assembly to maintain its force-sensing functionality while being protected from liquid or gaseous sterilization agents, thereby improving reliability without compromising ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Ease of manufacture

If force sensors are installed without protection, then ease of manufacture is improved, but object-generated harmful factors worsen due to damage from impacts or shocks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidobject-generated harmful factors

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a mechanical damping member arranged upstream of the force sensor in the direction of force application. This damping member absorbs and attenuates impacts or shocks before they reach the force sensor, providing beforehand cushioning that protects the sensor from damage while maintaining ease of manufacture through a straightforward structural addition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical damping member acts as an intermediary element between the external environment and the force sensor. It mediates the transmission of forces, allowing normal actuation forces to pass through while filtering out harmful impacts and shocks, thus protecting the sensor without complicating the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If mechanical damping members are added for impact protection, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mechanical damping member is integrated into the flexible housing section, combining the sealing function with the damping function in a single structural element. This integration approach improves reliability by providing impact protection while minimizing device complexity through functional consolidation rather than adding separate components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enhances the operability and reliability of surgical power tools by allowing effective sterilization, reducing damage from impacts, and ensuring the force sensor remains functional, thus improving the overall performance and longevity of the tools.

Implementation Method 1

the damping member may have elastic or resilient properties

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

For example, it is possible to configure the force sensor as a strain gauge, a piezo element, a semiconductor element, etc.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectStrain gauge effect: Piezoresistive Effect

Data Source

PatentUS9345490B2Surgical power tool and actuation assembly therefor

Publication Date: 2016.05.24 STRYKER EUROPEAN OPERATIONS HOLDINGS LLC

AI summary

A surgical power tool has an actuation assembly for the actuation-force-dependent control of the tool. The actuation assembly includes a force sensor configured to sense the actuation force and a carrier component for the force sensor which is arranged upstream of the force sensor in a direction of force application and is coupled thereto in a force-transmitting manner. A mechanical damping member is arranged upstream of the carrier component in the direction of force application. The damping member protects the carrier component and the force sensor, for example, from impacts and shocks and the accompanying plastic deformations.