Hand-Held Vascular Sealer With Movable Pivot Jaw
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical tools for hepatic resection face challenges in providing a coaptive surgical sealing tool with superior performance and efficiency in a simple and low-cost design, particularly in minimizing blood loss during liver surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A hand tool with a pivot connection between two arms, featuring a jaw spring that allows jaws to move linearly apart when excessive clamping force is applied, providing a more uniform clamping force and preventing inadvertent crushing, along with optional RF energy application and irrigation/aspiration capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hemostatic clamp tools are used to crush liver parenchyma, then vessel exposure is achieved, but non-uniform clamping force causes tissue crushing and blood loss
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot connection is designed to move between a first position (during normal clamping) and a second position (when excessive force is applied). This dynamic mechanism automatically adjusts the jaw alignment to remain substantially parallel under high force conditions, preventing tissue crushing while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool changes the geometric parameter of jaw orientation based on applied force. When clamping force exceeds a threshold, the pivot connection shifts position, changing the jaw angle from convergent to substantially parallel, thereby altering the force distribution to prevent tissue damage.
2Ease of manufacture
If simpler and lower-cost surgical sealing tools are designed, then cost and complexity are reduced, but superior performance and efficiency in minimizing blood loss cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The tool performs self-adjustment through the spring mechanism and movable pivot connection. When excessive force is detected, the spring compresses and the pivot automatically shifts to correct the jaw alignment, eliminating the need for complex external control systems while maintaining reliable sealing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring mechanism provides mechanical feedback on the clamping force. When force exceeds the spring's capacity, it compresses and triggers the pivot position change, creating a passive feedback loop that automatically prevents tissue damage without requiring electronic sensors or complex control circuits.
3Device complexity
If fixed pivot connections are used in hemostatic clamps, then structural simplicity is maintained, but non-parallel jaw movement during clamping occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot connection transitions from a fixed position to a movable one that can occupy two distinct positions. This dynamic capability allows the jaws to maintain substantial parallelism during the sealing phase while preserving relatively simple structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot connection is segmented into two functional positions: a first position for initial clamping and a second position for sealing. This segmentation allows the mechanism to optimize jaw alignment for each phase of operation without requiring continuous adjustment mechanisms.
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 tool achieves uniform clamping force and efficient sealing, reducing the risk of blood loss and tissue damage during surgical procedures, while maintaining a simple and cost-effective design.
Implementation Method 1
a jaw spring urging the pivot connection into the first position
Implementation Method 2
An arm spring in the first arm may limit the clamping force that may be applied to the clamped object
Implementation Method 3
which are then sealed and then divided via radio frequency (RF) energy provided to the jaws of the tool
Data Source
AI summary
A hand tool has a pivot connection pivotally attaching a first arm to a second arm, with the pivot connection fixed relative to the first arm and movable to first and second positions relative to the second arm. A spring urges the pivot connection into the first position. When jaws on the front ends of the arms clamp tissue with force greater than a pre-set threshold, the spring force is overcome and the jaws may move linearly apart, allowing for more uniform clamping of the tissue. The first arm may have an arm spring extending between a front segment pivotally attached to a rear segment of the first arm.