Trocar Wiring with Slack for Movable Camera and Fixed Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive medical procedures face challenges in accurately positioning medical instruments and acquiring high-quality images within patient organs due to limitations in existing invasive medical tools that integrate cameras and position sensors.
Innovation Solution
A medical apparatus comprising a trocar with a cannula, a position sensor, and a movable camera, where the camera is coupled to a movable element within the cannula, and a control handle is used to move the camera along the cannula, with electrical wires having slack to accommodate motion and prevent damage, allowing for precise positioning and image acquisition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the camera is made movable to improve visualization flexibility, then image acquisition capability is improved, but the electrical wire connecting the camera may be damaged due to motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using a flexible electrical wire that can bend and extend without breaking. The wire is designed with sufficient flexibility to accommodate the camera's movement along the longitudinal axis while maintaining electrical connectivity, thus resolving the contradiction between camera mobility and wire integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the electrical wire length adjustable or extensible. The wire can dynamically change its effective length to match the camera's position, allowing the camera to move freely while the wire remains intact. This dynamic adaptation resolves the conflict between motion capability and structural integrity.
2Measurement precision
If the position sensor is fixed to track trocar position accurately, then position tracking precision is improved, but the camera movement becomes constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by separating the position sensor from the camera. The position sensor is fixed to the trocar body to accurately track trocar position, while the camera is mounted on a movable element that can independently move along the longitudinal axis. This segmentation allows both the fixed position sensor and movable camera to fulfill their respective functions without constraint.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the electrical wire is made taut to maintain stable connection, then connection stability is improved, but camera motion is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible electrical wire that maintains stable electrical connection while accommodating camera movement. The wire's flexibility allows it to bend and extend without compromising connection stability, thus resolving the contradiction between connection stability and camera mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical wire acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the fixed control handle and the movable camera. It transmits electrical signals while accommodating positional changes, serving as a flexible mediator that maintains connection stability without restricting camera motion.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical apparatus includes a trocar, a control handle, a first electrical wire, and a second electrical wire. The trocar is used for insertion into an organ of a patient, and includes (i) a cannula having a longitudinal axis, (ii) a position sensor that is fitted inside the cannula, and (iii) a camera that is coupled to a movable element, which is fitted inside the cannula and configured to be moved along the longitudinal axis for moving the camera along the cannula. The control handle is coupled to a proximal end of the movable element and is configured to move the movable element and the camera. The first electrical wire is coupled between the control handle and the camera. The second electrical wire is coupled between the control handle and the position sensor, and has a slack configured to compensate for a motion of the camera.