Trocars Sealing Device Reduces Insufflation Gas Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional trocars experience insufflation gas leakage during surgical procedures, which can contaminate the operating room with COVID-19 particles and compromise patient safety, necessitating improved gas containment solutions.
Innovation Solution
A sealing device for trocars featuring an extension member seal with a compressive force material and a retention body, along with a securement body having an elongated skirt that unrolls for secure engagement with the trocar's seal housing, enhancing gas containment by providing multi-axis dynamic sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional seals integral to trocars are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but insufflation gas leakage occurs during static positioning and dynamic movement of surgical instruments
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device is divided into multiple functional components: an extension member seal for sealing the surgical instrument, a securement body for attachment, and an elongated skirt for securing to the seal housing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function effectively, improving gas containment while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing device incorporates dynamic sealing capabilities through the extension member seal that can accommodate axial, pivotal, and rotational movements of the surgical instrument. The compressive force material and retention body work together to maintain sealing effectiveness during multi-axis dynamic movement, resolving the contradiction between reliability during movement and structural simplicity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional trocars are used, then the device is simple to operate, but insufflation gas leakage contaminates the operating room with COVID-19 particles
Solution Approach 1:
The elongated skirt is provided in a rolled configuration that can be unrolled during installation to secure the sealing device to the seal housing. This preliminary preparation of the skirt in a compact form facilitates easier installation and operation, while the secured configuration provides effective gas containment to prevent COVID-19 particle contamination.
3Reliability
If conventional seals are used, then manufacturing is straightforward, but gas leakage occurs during axial, pivotal, and rotational movements of the surgical instrument
Solution Approach 1:
The extension member seal utilizes flexible sealing members and compressive force material that can deform and conform during axial, pivotal, and rotational movements of the surgical instrument. This flexibility maintains sealing effectiveness throughout the range of motion while allowing for relatively straightforward manufacturing of the elastomeric components.
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
The sealing device significantly reduces insufflation gas leakage during both static and dynamic movements of surgical instruments, effectively preventing gas-borne contamination and maintaining a sterile surgical environment, especially relevant in COVID-19 scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
a compressive force material extends around the sealing member in contact therewith within the interior space
Implementation Method 2
The sealing member can be made from a material comprising or consisting essentially of an elastomer or synthetic rubber
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are sealing devices and methods configured for improving sealing functionality with an engaged extension member of an apparatus. More specifically, disclosed herein are methods configured for improving insufflation gas containment in relation to trocars (and/or other related type of devices) that are used for enabling a surgical instrument such, for example, a laparoscope, to gain access to an abdominal cavity (or other body cavity). By providing for such improved insufflation gas containment, sealing devices as disclosed herein are particularly advantageous, desirable and useful in view of long-standing reasons for limiting insufflation gas leakage and in view of newly recognized reasons stemming from outbreak of COVID-19 disease for limiting insufflation gas leakage.