Thoracic Cannula Stabilizer and Obturator Protrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical devices for minimally invasive procedures lack effective percutaneous access solutions that minimize damage to sensitive structures like blood vessels and nerves while providing stable and easy-to-use thoracic access.
Innovation Solution
A surgical assembly comprising a cannula with textured features on shorter sides to engage muscle tissue and a stabilizer for anchoring, combined with an obturator having a tapered end for safe insertion and a protrusion to prevent cannula displacement, facilitating safe and stable thoracic access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional cannula is used for percutaneous thoracic access, then the procedure can be performed minimally invasively, but there is risk of damage to blood vessels and nerves due to lack of stable positioning and control
Solution Approach 1:
The obturator is inserted into the cannula before the cannula is introduced into the patient's body. The obturator's tapered end facilitates easier penetration through tissue and muscle, and it provides structural support during insertion. Once the cannula is properly positioned, the obturator is removed, leaving the cannula securely in place. This preliminary action ensures safe and stable placement without risking damage to blood vessels and nerves during the positioning phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The obturator acts as an intermediary tool that assists in the insertion and positioning of the cannula. It provides the necessary rigidity and tapered geometry to navigate through tissue safely, while the cannula provides the final access pathway. The stabilizer on the cannula serves as another intermediary feature that engages with muscle tissue to secure the cannula in place, preventing displacement and ensuring reliable positioning throughout the surgical procedure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cannula opening is made larger to allow wider field of view and motion, then surgical instrument mobility is improved, but the risk of contacting and damaging blood vessels and nerves increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula features textured regions on specific portions of its exterior surface, particularly on the stabilizer and body. These textured regions provide enhanced engagement with muscle tissue through increased friction and mechanical interlocking, while smooth regions are positioned to minimize contact with sensitive structures. This localized variation in surface quality allows the cannula to achieve stable positioning and wider angular mobility without increasing the risk of damaging blood vessels and nerves, as the textured features concentrate the interaction forces with safer tissue areas.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the obturator protrusion presses on the cannula opening to prevent displacement, then stability is improved, but the cannula opening may become deformed or damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The obturator protrusion is designed to engage with the stabilizer feature on the cannula rather than pressing directly on the cannula opening. The stabilizer acts as an intermediate engagement point that is structurally reinforced to receive the protrusion without deforming the opening. This extraction of the engagement point from the opening itself prevents deformation while maintaining stable positioning through the protrusion-stabilizer connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizer serves as an intermediary structure between the obturator protrusion and the cannula opening. It provides a dedicated engagement surface that can withstand the forces applied by the protrusion without transmitting those forces to the opening, thereby preventing deformation while ensuring stable positioning of the cannula during and after the procedure.
4Ease of operation
If textured features are added to the cannula exterior to improve grip and positioning, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The textured features are applied only to specific portions of the cannula exterior, such as the stabilizer and selected regions of the body, rather than the entire surface. This localized texturing provides sufficient grip and positioning control where needed while minimizing the overall manufacturing complexity. The texturing can be achieved through cost-effective methods such as laser etching, embossing, or attachment of textured coatings to pre-formed cannula bodies, avoiding the need for completely re-engineering the manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical assembly is disclosed. The assembly has a cannula. The cannula has an oblong opening on a proximal end, one or more textured features on an outside, and a stabilizer at the proximal end. The assembly also has an obturator sized to fit within the cannula from the proximal end of the cannula. The obturator has a tapered end configured to extend from the distal end of the cannula and a protrusion on a proximal end of the obturator configured to engage a portion of the cannula.