Tissue Stabilizer with Articulating Arms and Vacuum Suction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional coronary artery grafting operations require ceasing the heart's beating, necessitating the use of a heart-lung machine, whereas off-pump surgery aims to avoid this, but existing tissue stabilizers lack effective mechanisms for stabilizing the heart tissue during beating-heart surgery.
Innovation Solution
A tissue stabilizer comprising a clamp assembly with a clutch plate, actuator, and collet assembly that allows for precise positioning and stabilization of the heart tissue using a combination of clamps, articulating arms, and vacuum suction to maintain tissue stability during surgery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If off-pump surgery is performed to avoid using a heart-lung machine, then patient safety and surgical efficiency are improved, but the ability to stabilize beating heart tissue deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a tissue stabilizer device as an intermediary tool between the surgeon and the beating heart. The stabilizer includes a clamp assembly with front and rear clamps that can be positioned on either side of the surgical site, creating a stable platform that allows surgical manipulation without stopping the heart. This mediator enables off-pump surgery by providing the necessary stability during cardiac beats.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp assembly uses counterbalancing forces through its mechanical design. The front clamp and rear clamp are positioned to create opposing forces that stabilize the heart tissue. The articulating arm with adjustable tension elements provides counteracting forces to maintain tissue stability against the dynamic movements of the beating heart.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a heart-lung machine is used to stop the heart during surgery, then heart tissue stability is improved, but patient risk and surgical complexity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the tissue stabilization function from the complex heart-lung machine system and isolates it into a dedicated, simpler tissue stabilizer device. This extracted function is implemented through a self-contained clamp assembly with articulating arms and tension elements, eliminating the need for the entire heart-lung machine while maintaining essential stability capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If the rear clamp is made slidable on the beam for positioning, then ease of positioning is improved, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rear clamp is designed with dynamic characteristics, being slidable on the beam to allow easy positioning during setup. Once positioned, the system transitions to a stable configuration through the interaction of tension elements and clamping forces. This dynamic design enables both easy positioning and operational stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rear clamp is preliminarily positioned on the beam in a slidable state to facilitate easy placement and adjustment. After positioning, the tension elements are adjusted and the clamp is secured, transforming from a mobile preliminary state to a stable operational state.
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
Enables effective stabilization of heart tissue during beating-heart surgery, allowing for precise surgical procedures without the need to stop the heart, thereby improving surgical efficiency and patient outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
Tissue stabilizers typically include suction pods that hold a surface tissue of the heart stable
Data Source
AI summary
Tissue stabilizers including a clamp assembly, a turret assembly, an articulating arm having a tension element extending therethrough, a collet assembly and a head-link assembly are disclosed. Methods of stabilizing tissue are also disclosed.