Telescopic Shaft for Endoscopic Surgical Instruments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscopic surgical instruments with long shafts are cumbersome for surgeries requiring varying distances between the operating area and the entry port, often exceeding standard sterilization tray capacity and causing unfavorable working positions for surgeons.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument with a telescopically adjustable elongate shaft and actuation rod, allowing for multiple length settings via bayonet-type locks, ratchet mechanisms, and clamping rings, ensuring the instrument can be adjusted to fit various surgical situations while fitting within standard sterilization equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the shaft length is increased to reach distant operating areas, then the instrument can access deeper body cavities, but the instrument becomes too long for standard sterilization trays and creates unfavorable working positions
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is divided into multiple telescopic sections that can be extended or retracted relative to each other. Each section contains locking mechanisms (bayonet-type locks, ratchet mechanisms, or clamping rings) that allow independent positioning. This segmentation enables the shaft to be divided into manageable segments for sterilization while providing extended length when needed for deep cavity access.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft transitions from a fixed-length structure to a dynamically adjustable structure. The telescopic sections can be extended or retracted based on the specific surgical requirements, allowing the instrument to adapt its length between procedures or even during a procedure. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between needing long shafts for deep access and short shafts for sterilization and close operating areas.
2Length of moving object
If the shaft length is fixed at a long length for deep cavity access, then distant operating areas can be reached, but the instrument cannot fit into standard sterilization trays
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic sections are nested within each other when retracted, allowing the entire shaft to be compressed to a compact size that fits within standard sterilization trays. The inner sections slide within outer sections, creating a nested configuration during sterilization while maintaining full extended length during surgery. This nesting principle directly resolves the volume contradiction between long shaft operation and compact sterilization storage.
3Ease of operation
If the shaft length is adjusted to be short for close operating areas, then favorable working positions are achieved, but the instrument cannot reach distant operating areas
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft incorporates dynamic telescopic sections that can be extended or retracted based on the specific surgical needs. When operating close to the entry port, the shaft is retracted to a short length providing favorable working positions. When distant operating areas need to be accessed, the shaft is extended to the required length. This dynamic adjustability ensures optimal ease of operation across different surgical scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscopic surgical instrument with an elongate shaft, a surgical tool arranged at a distal end of the shaft for conducting surgical manipulations and a handle arranged at a proximal end of the shaft for actuating the surgical tool. The shaft has an elongate shaft tube and an elongate actuation rod arranged movably within the shaft tube, the tool and the handle both being connected to the shaft tube and the actuating rod such that the tool can be actuated by the handle through a motion of the actuating rod relative to the shaft tube.