Trocar Seal Activation Extensions Reduce Instrument Drag
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trocar seal assemblies often cause fluid buildup on instruments due to direct contact with the seal face, obscuring the surgeon's view and increasing drag during surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A trocar seal assembly with activation extensions that allow instruments to pass through without contacting the seal face, using a flange with an aperture and a sealing wall that opens via these extensions, reducing fluid contact and drag by configuring the inner surfaces to promote fluid movement away from the central portion towards the peripheral portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If instruments directly contact the seal face during insertion and removal, then the seal assembly can be simple in structure, but fluid buildup occurs on instruments obscuring the surgeon's view and increasing drag
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces activation extensions as an intermediary element between the instrument and the seal face. These extensions protrude into the aperture and contact the instrument first, causing the seal wall to open without requiring the instrument to contact the seal face directly. This mediator approach prevents fluid buildup on the instrument while maintaining a relatively simple overall seal assembly structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal wall is segmented into multiple sections including the activation extension portion that can move independently. This segmentation allows the activation extension to protrude and contact the instrument separately from the main seal face, enabling the opening action to occur without instrument-contact-with-seal-face, thus preventing fluid contamination.
2Device complexity
If instruments directly contact the seal face, then the seal assembly requires fewer components, but drag on the instrument during insertion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The activation extension serves as a mediator that initiates the opening action before the instrument reaches the seal face. By contacting the instrument and causing the seal wall to open in advance, the activation extension reduces the resistance the instrument encounters, thereby decreasing drag during insertion and removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The activation extension performs a preliminary action by contacting the instrument and initiating the seal opening process before the instrument makes contact with the seal face. This preliminary opening action reduces the force required for instrument insertion and removal, effectively decreasing drag.
3Ease of operation
If the seal face is positioned to allow easy instrument passage, then instrument insertion is facilitated, but fluid can more easily contact and accumulate on the instrument
Solution Approach 1:
The activation extension acts as an intermediary that facilitates instrument passage by initiating the opening action remotely. The instrument contacts the activation extension rather than the seal face, allowing easy insertion while the seal face remains positioned to prevent fluid accumulation on the instrument surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The activation extension protrudes into the aperture from the seal wall, creating a three-dimensional arrangement where the instrument contacts an element in one dimension (the activation extension) rather than directly contacting the seal face in another dimension. This spatial arrangement facilitates easy instrument passage while preventing fluid contact.
Data Source
AI summary
Seal assemblies or valves, generally for use in trocar assemblies, are provided for reducing the amount of contact between an instrument being passed into and out of a trocar assembly and an inner surface of a sealing wall of such seal assemblies or valves. In one exemplary embodiment a valve includes an activation extension that is formed on the inner surface of the sealing wall of the valve and is configured such that a distal end of the sealing wall is moved to the open position by an instrument contacting the activation extension. In one embodiment the instrument does not come into contact with the inner surface of the sealing wall during the procedure. In another embodiment a distal-most end of the activation extension can be closer to a longitudinal axis extending through the flange than the inner surface of the sealing wall.