Toggle Drive Assembly for Surgical Stapler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical stapling instruments face challenges in efficiently and accurately stapling and cutting tissue during anastomotic procedures, particularly in minimizing operator error and ensuring complete staple formation and tissue cutting.
Innovation Solution
The development of a circular surgical stapling instrument with a stapling head assembly and anvil system that includes a motorized drive assembly, such as a toggle, angled cam, or rack and pinion mechanism, to drive staples and a knife simultaneously, ensuring consistent and complete stapling and cutting action.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a motorized drive assembly is used to drive staples and knife simultaneously, then the reliability and consistency of stapling and cutting action is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operation with an automated motorized drive assembly that uses a toggle mechanism, cam, or rack and pinion system to drive both staples and knife simultaneously, ensuring consistent and complete stapling and cutting action without operator error
Solution Approach 2:
The motorized drive assembly serves multiple functions by simultaneously driving both the staple driver and knife, integrating what would traditionally be separate manual operations into a single automated system that performs stapling and cutting in coordination
2Ease of operation
If manual operation is used for stapling and cutting, then the ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision and consistency of stapling and cutting action deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operation with an automated motorized drive assembly that uses a toggle mechanism, cam, or rack and pinion system to drive both staples and knife simultaneously, ensuring consistent and complete stapling and cutting action without operator error
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates indicators that provide visual feedback to the operator regarding the position of the anvil and completion of stapling and cutting actions, ensuring precision while maintaining ease of operation through clear operational status display
3Device complexity
If the anvil position is fixed, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability for precise control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the anvil position dynamically adjustable rather than fixed, allowing the operator to manually position the anvil at different locations along the tissue to be stapled, with the motorized drive assembly then automatically driving the staples and knife relative to the positioned anvil
Data Source
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Figure 2B
AI summary
An apparatus includes an end effector, a shaft assembly including a translating drive member, and a drive assembly. The end effector includes a distally advancing cutting member and staple driver. The translating drive member (326) is operable to actuate the end effector. The drive assembly (300) is configured to induce linear motion on the translating drive member and includes a motor (306) fixed to a frame (70), a rotary drive member (308), a first link (310), and two toggle links (316, 318). The rotary drive member is rotated by the motor. The first link is driven by the rotary drive member. One of the two toggle links is pivotally connected to the translating drive member and the other one is pivotally connected to the frame (70). The rotary drive member is operable to convey linear motion to the first link. The first link further conveys linear motion to the translating drive member by means of said two toggle links.