Surgical Tool Guide with Lateral Opening and Blocking Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical instruments for tool guidance are not cost-effective and do not adequately prevent tools from accidentally contacting sensitive body structures during procedures like knee surgery, leading to potential injuries.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument with guide elements that include lateral openings and a blocking element, allowing for easy tool guidance while preventing the tool from exiting the guide element, thereby reducing the risk of injury to surrounding ligaments. The instrument is designed with a base body made of plastic and features a blocking element that can be positioned to restrict the tool's movement, enhancing user handling and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If guide elements extend to the edge of the base body with lateral openings, then ease of manufacture and cost-effectiveness improve, but the risk of tool contact with surrounding ligaments increases
Solution Approach 1:
A blocking element is introduced as an intermediary component between the guide element and the lateral opening. This blocking element can be selectively positioned to prevent tool contact with surrounding ligaments while allowing the guide element to maintain its simple molded design with lateral openings for ease of manufacture.
2Reliability
If a blocking element is added to prevent tool exit through lateral openings, then surgical safety improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking element is designed to be movable and selectively positionable rather than fixed. It can be moved into a blocking position to prevent tool exit through lateral openings, or moved away to allow tool passage. This dynamic design provides surgical safety only when needed, avoiding permanent complexity in the instrument design.
3Ease of manufacture
If the base body is manufactured as a molded plastic part, then manufacturing cost decreases, but the ability to provide structural complexity for tool guidance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument is segmented into distinct functional components: a simple molded plastic base body with guide elements, and a separate blocking element. This segmentation allows the base body to be manufactured cost-effectively as a molded part, while the blocking element provides the necessary structural complexity for safety without requiring complex molding.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a surgical instrument for tool guidance, comprising a base body (18) that can be positioned on a body part (14) to be treated, in which at least one guide element (30, 44) is formed for guiding a surgical tool (28) that can be inserted into it in an engagement direction (40, 48), wherein the at least one guide element (30, 44) extends at an angle and, in particular, transversely to the engagement direction (40, 48) to an edge (26) of the base body (18) and the at least one guide element (30, 44) is laterally open at the edge (26), wherein the instrument (10; 70; 80; 100) comprises at least one locking element (56; 82) that can be fixed or is fixed in a locking position on the base body (18) and that forms a stop for the tool (28) against exiting the guide element (30, 44) at the lateral opening (45, 52). educates.