Visual Display of Electrical Pathways in Surgical End Effectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive surgical instruments face challenges in flexibility, dexterity, and intuitive movement due to the length of endoscopic instruments, making it difficult for surgeons to accurately coordinate the movement of end effectors, especially when displaying electrical pathways.
Innovation Solution
The development of surgical tools with end effectors that include visual indicators to display electrical pathways, such as electrodes with different potentials and surface markings, and a system with a processor and camera to virtually show these pathways, aiding in the intuitive application of energy to tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional minimally invasive surgical instruments are used, then the surgical procedure can be performed with small incisions, but the surgeon experiences difficulty in coordinating end effector movement and lacks intuitive response to instrument movement input
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides visual feedback through a monitor displaying the surgical site and provides haptic feedback through force feedback mechanisms that simulate tissue resistance, allowing the surgeon to intuitively sense end effector movement and tissue forces despite the length of the instruments
Solution Approach 2:
A robotic system with master control devices acts as an intermediary between the surgeon and the surgical instruments, translating surgeon inputs into precise end effector movements and providing force feedback to simulate direct manipulation
2Force
If the length of endoscopic instruments is increased to reach distant surgical sites, then access to the surgical site is improved, but the surgeon's ability to feel forces exerted by tissues on the end effector is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Force feedback mechanisms provide haptic feedback to the surgeon, simulating the forces exerted by tissues on the end effector through the length of the instruments, allowing the surgeon to feel tissue resistance and manipulation forces remotely
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system acts as a force transmission intermediary, using sensors and actuators to detect and reproduce tissue forces at the master control devices, compensating for the distance between surgeon and surgical site
3Loss of information
If visual indicators are added to display electrical pathways on the end effector, then the surgeon can more easily identify active energy paths, but the complexity of the surgical tool increases
Solution Approach 1:
Visual indicators use color-coded markings (e.g., colored paint or labels) on the end effector to indicate active energy paths and return paths, allowing the surgeon to quickly identify electrical pathways through color differentiation without complex additional components
Solution Approach 2:
The visual indicators provide a simplified representation or copy of the electrical pathway information that is otherwise internal to the instrument, making the invisible electrical paths visible through external markings without adding complex sensing or display components
Data Source
AI summary
Surgical tools are provided herein that have a housing and an elongate tool shaft extending from the housing with an end effector on a distal end thereof. The end effectors deliver electrical energy onto and/or through tissue, and the end effectors are configured to display at least one location of one or more paths of the electrical energy through the end effector.