Surgical Instrument Wire Guide Routing and Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy-based surgical forceps face challenges in protecting electrical wires from damage and interference with other components, as they are not effectively guided through the housing and shaft, leading to potential damage and malfunction during tissue treatment.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument featuring a wire guide with guiding features and snap features that securely route electrical wires from the housing into the shaft, maintaining their separation and preventing contact with other internal components, ensuring safe passage and functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical wires are routed through the housing and shaft without guidance, then the instrument structure remains simple, but the wires are vulnerable to damage and interference from other components
Solution Approach 1:
A wire guide is introduced as an intermediary component between the electrical wires and the housing/shaft components. The wire guide includes a body with guiding features that actively route and protect the wires, preventing contact with other internal components while maintaining structural organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire guide is divided into functional segments: a body portion with guiding features for routing wires through the housing, and a shaft attachment portion for securing wires at the shaft interface. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific protective function independently.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple electrical wires are routed through the housing, then energy supply to multiple end effector surfaces is enabled, but wire separation and organization become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The wire guide body includes multiple distinct guiding features (first guiding feature, second guiding feature, etc.) that are spatially separated and configured to receive and route individual electrical wires independently. This allows multiple wires to be organized and protected without interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire guide utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement with guiding features positioned at different locations and orientations within the wire guide body. This dimensional arrangement enables effective separation and routing of multiple wires through the housing structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument including a housing, a shaft, an end effector assembly, a first electrical wire, and a wire guide. The shaft defines a lumen and extends distally from the housing. The end effector assembly is disposed at a distal end portion of the shaft and includes a first electrically-conductive tissue-treating surface. The first electrical wire extends from the housing, through the shaft, and into electrical communication with the first electrically-conductive tissue-treating surface. The electrical wire is adapted to connect to a source of energy and configured to supply energy to the first electrically-conductive tissue-treating surface. The wire guide is disposed within the housing and engaged about a proximal portion of the shaft within the housing. The wire guide is also configured to guide the first electrical wire from the housing into the shaft.