The present disclosure relates to a medical device which can be used during minimally invasive surgery to maintain visualization of the surgical field and, more particularly, to a medical device which permits a laparoscope to be cleaned intracorporeally.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive technique for performing surgical procedures without resorting to more invasive surgical procedures. This approach is increasingly used by many surgical specialties as it affords greater safety, superior visualization, faster patient recovery and minimizes surgical blood loss. The technique involves creating small incisions on the abdomen through which trocar sleeves are introduced into an abdominal cavity that is distended with carbon dioxide gas to create a pneumoperitoneum.
A laparoscopic camera, as well as instruments, can be placed through the trocar sleeves allowing an operator (e.g., a surgeon) to operate under direct visualization. Frequently the laparoscope fogs up or comes into contact with blood or other fluids which blocks the lens and obscures the view. Traditionally, the laparoscope is removed from the patient and cleaned using cotton pads and lens defogger solutions before being re-introduced into the body. During this time, the operator is blind as to what is happening in the surgical field inside the patient. Loss of visualization is undesirable and can present issues when surgical instruments are grasping tissues or when active bleeding is occurring in the surgical field. To continue the cleaning process, the operator must also wipe down the trocar port site, which is also likely stained from the fluid or debris that has been tracked through by the scope as it was removed.
This requires additional time, and depending on the amount of staining, the trocar may need to be at least partially disassembled, so that it can be more thoroughly cleaned.
After cleaning, the operator reinserts the scope through the clean trocar. However, the lens can quickly become stained again, obstructing the operator's vision and necessitating another cleaning. Each time the operator removes the lens for cleaning and subsequently reinserts, the operator must also reorient to the patient's anatomy. It also may be necessary to adjust anatomy in the surgical field.
There is a continuing need for a medical device configured to clean a laparoscope without removing it from the surgical site and having to stop the surgery to perform such action. Desirably, the medical device is a surgical instrument that facilitates laparoscopic surgery by allowing the laparoscope to be cleaned without removing it from the patient and prevents a dangerous situation in which the surgical field is not visualized.
In concordance with the instant disclosure, a medical device configured to clean a laparoscope without removing it from the surgical site and having to stop the surgery to perform such action, and which is a surgical instrument that facilitates laparoscopic surgery by allowing the laparoscope to be cleaned without removing it from the patient and prevents a dangerous situation in which the surgical field is not visualized, is surprisingly discovered.
The present technology provides a medical device that allows an operator to clean a laparoscope without having to remove the laparoscope from a patient's abdomen. The medical device can maximize safety as it prevents moments in which the operator cannot visualize the surgical field. The medical device can be safer than conventional tools as it has no parts which can separate during surgery. The medical device can further keep the laparoscope lens dry after cleaning and prevent condensation and fog from forming thereon through use of a warm physiological saline solution as well as the same gas used to establish and maintain a pneumoperitoneum during the laparoscopic procedure.
Objects and advantages of the present technology include the following non-limiting examples:
In certain embodiments, a medical device for intracorporeally cleaning a laparoscope can include a service box. The service box can include a pump and a gas valve. Each of the pump and the gas valve can be in communication with an exit valve via a fluid feed line. The pump can be configured to draw fluid into the service box, along the fluid feed line, and out of the exit valve. The gas valve can be configured to selectively permit a transfer of gas into the service box, along the fluid feed line, and out of the exit valve. The medical device can include a trocar that can be in communication with the exit valve via a flexible tubing. The trocar can include a hub and a cannula. The cannula can have an open end. The hub can be configured to receive the laparoscope and direct the laparoscope through the open end of the cannula. The cannula can be configured to receive fluid and gas from the exit valve and direct the fluid and gas to the open end, thereby cleaning the lens of the laparoscope.
In certain other embodiments, a method of performing a laparoscopic procedure is provided where the method provides a laparoscope and a medical device including a service. The service box can include a pump and a gas valve. Each of the pump and the gas valve can be in communication with an exit valve via a fluid feed line. The pump can be configured to draw fluid into the service box, along the fluid feed line, and out of the exit valve. The gas valve can be configured to draw gas into the service box, along the fluid feed line, and out of the exit valve. The medical device can include a trocar that can be in communication with the exit valve via a flexible tubing. The trocar can include a hub and a cannula. The cannula can have an open end. The hub can be configured to receive the laparoscope and direct the laparoscope through the open end of the cannula. The cannula can be configured to receive fluid and gas from the exit valve and direct the fluid and gas to the open end. The method can include a step of performing the laparoscopic procedure, which can include cleaning the laparoscope with the fluid and the gas from the medical device. In this way, the present technology can clean the laparoscope and restore full visualization for the operator without having to remove the laparoscope from the surgical field, optimizing the surgical procedure and overall efficiency.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The following description of technology is merely exemplary in nature of the subject matter, manufacture and use of one or more inventions, and is not intended to limit the scope, application, or uses of any specific invention claimed in this application or in such other applications as can be filed claiming priority to this application, or patents issuing therefrom. Regarding methods disclosed, the order of the steps presented is exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps can be different in various embodiments, including where certain steps can be simultaneously performed, unless expressly stated otherwise. “A” and “an” as used herein indicate “at least one” of the item is present; a plurality of such items can be present, when possible. Except where otherwise expressly indicated, all numerical quantities in this description are to be understood as modified by the word “about” and all geometric and spatial descriptors are to be understood as modified by the word “substantially” in describing the broadest scope of the technology. “About” when applied to numerical values indicates that the calculation or the measurement allows some slight imprecision in the value (with some approach to exactness in the value; approximately or reasonably close to the value; nearly). If, for some reason, the imprecision provided by “about” and/or “substantially” is not otherwise understood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then “about” and/or “substantially” as used herein indicates at least variations that can arise from ordinary methods of measuring or using such parameters.
Although the open-ended term “comprising,” as a synonym of non-restrictive terms such as including, containing, or having, is used herein to describe and claim embodiments of the present technology, embodiments can alternatively be described using more limiting terms such as “consisting of” or “consisting essentially of.” Thus, for any given embodiment reciting materials, components, or process steps, the present technology also specifically includes embodiments consisting of, or consisting essentially of, such materials, components, or process steps excluding additional materials, components or processes (for consisting of) and excluding additional materials, components or processes affecting the significant properties of the embodiment (for consisting essentially of), even though such additional materials, components or processes are not explicitly recited in this application. For example, recitation of a composition or process reciting elements A, B and C specifically envisions embodiments consisting of, and consisting essentially of, A, B and C, excluding an element D that can be recited in the art, even though element D is not explicitly described as being excluded herein.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, engaged, connected, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers can be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there can be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another region, layer, or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, can be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms can be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
As shown in
The service box 102 can include a plurality of side walls 108. The side walls 108 can define an interior 110 of the service box 102. The side walls 108 can include a plurality of ports 112 formed therethrough. The ports 112 can be configured to allow various forms of tubing or wiring to pass into the interior 110 of the service box 102, as described in greater detail hereinbelow. It should be appreciated that each of the ports 112 of the service box 102 can include a Luer lock. Each of the Luer locks can be a threaded Luer taper lock. It should be appreciated that the Luer lock can militate against leaks at the ports 112, in operation. A skilled artisan can select other fluid-tight couplings, including other suitable Luer locks, as desired, to militate against leaks from the service box 102.
With reference to
The service box 102 can include a pump 120 disposed in the operational compartment 116 therein. The pump 120 can be in fluid communication with a reservoir 103. As a non-limiting example, the reservoir can be an IV bag. In particular, an IV tube can be fluidly coupled to or disposed through one of the ports 112 of the service box 102 and fluidly connected to the pump 120. In certain embodiments, the pump 120 can be a peristaltic pump. In certain embodiments, the pump 120 can be configured to pump saline from the reservoir 103 to the service box 102, as one non-limiting example. A skilled artisan can employ other suitable pumps 120, as desired.
The pump 120 can be in fluid communication with a fluid heater 122, which can also be disposed in the operational compartment 116 of the service box 102. The fluid heater 122 can be disposed between the reservoir 103 and the pump 120. As the pump 120 draws fluids from the reservoir 103, the fluids can be warmed by the fluid heater 122. The fluid heater 122 can be configured to heat the fluid entering the pump 120 to a predetermined temperature. In certain examples, the predetermined temperature can be about 37° C. Other suitable temperatures can be selected by a skilled artisan, as desired.
With continued reference to
The gas valve 126 can be in fluid communication with a gas tank 105. The gas tank 105 can be coupled or connected to the gas valve 126 via tubing through one of the ports 112 of the service box 102. The gas valve 126 can be actuated by a solenoid (not shown). The gas valve 126 can receive gas from the gas tank 105 and can selectively permit a controlled amount of gas to pass through to the exit valve 124, in operation. In some example embodiments, the gas tank 105 can include carbon dioxide.
The pump 120 and the gas valve 126 can be connected to the exit valve 124 via a fluid feed line 128. The fluid feed line 128 can have a first end that can be attached to the exit valve 124. The fluid feed line 128 can have a Y-shaped junction 130, which splits a second end of the fluid feed line 128. The Y-shaped junction 130 allows for a fluid connection with each of the pump 120 and the gas valve 126. Advantageously, the fluid feed line 128 allows for both liquid and gas to travel through the fluid feed line 128, in operation, such that it is necessary to only provide one exit valve 124 within the service box 102 to militate against reflux.
With reference to
The trocar 104 can include a side port 138. The side port 138 can be disposed below the check valve 136. The side port 138 can include a Luer lock. The side port 138 can receive the flexible tubing 106, which fluidly couples the trocar 104 to the service box 102. In particular, the flexible tubing 106 can place the side trocar 104 in fluid communication with the exit valve 124 such that fluids including liquid (e.g., warmed saline) and gas (e.g., CO2) from the exit valve 124 can flow through the flexible tubing 106 through the side port 138 and into the cannula 134.
With reference to
The cannula 134 can have an open beveled end 142 opposite of the hub 132. The beveled end 142 can be configured to be inserted into the patient. In operation, when the laparoscope 101 is disposed in the trocar 104, the laparoscope 101 can pass through the open beveled end 142 of the cannula 134 and into the patient. The cannula can have a vane 144 formed on the interior surface adjacent the beveled end 142. The vane 144 can be configured to direct fluid (e.g., charges of liquid and gas) within the cannula 134 to a lens 109 of the laparoscope 101, thus, allowing the lens 109 of the laparoscope 101 to be cleaned of debris via the fluid flow from the vane 144. Advantageously, the lens 109 of the laparoscope 101 can be cleaned via the flow of liquid and gas from the service box 102, to the trocar 104, without removing the laparoscope 101 from the patient. In particular, the liquid can remove debris from the lens 109 and the gas can dry the excess fluid from the lens 109, thus allowing the lens 109 to be cleaned and dried to militate against the formation of fog on the lens 109, in operation.
With renewed reference to
The medical device 100 can include a control system 150. The control system 150 can include a circuit board 152. The circuit board 152 can be in communication with a power source. The circuit board 152 can be configured to actuate the pump 120 and the solenoid of the gas valve 126. The control system 150 can be actuated by a pedal 154. The pedal 154 can allow an operator to actuate the medical device 100 by the operator's a foot, allowing for continued control of any surgical tools in the operator's hands, in operation. The operator can depress the pedal 154, which can power the circuit board 152 to signal the pump 120 and the gas valve 126. The pump 120 can then pump a volume of fluid from the reservoir 103 and the gas valve 126 can allow a volume of gas into the service box 102. The control system 150 can include a control panel 156. The control panel 156 can include a plurality of knobs, which can adjust each of the volume of fluid and the volume of gas released by the medical device 100 when the pedal 154 is depressed by the operator. The control panel 156 can further include a power switch, which allows the medical device 100 to be powered on. The control panel 156 can include a panel of lights, which can display a power status or signal internal errors, such as low carbon dioxide pressure and undesirable fluid temperature.
It should be appreciated that the medical device 100 of the present disclosure can allow for a one-way fluid flow of liquid and gas, in operation, for example, as illustrated in
With reference to
The method 200 can include a third step 206 of beginning the laparoscopic procedure. The third step can include inserting the trocar 104 into the patient. The laparoscope 101 can then be inserted through the hub 132 and through the cannula 134 of the trocar 104. The laparoscopic insufflator 107 can be used to create the necessary pneumoperitoneum.
A fourth step 208 in the method 200 can include cleaning the lens 109 of the laparoscope 101 with the medical device 100. In particular, the operator can press the pedal 154. The pedal 154 can power the circuit board 152, which can then signal the pump 120 and the gas valve 126. The service box 102 can then send saline and carbon dioxide to the trocar 104 through the one-way fluid flow described hereinabove and shown in
It should be appreciated that the medical device 100 of the present disclosure can allow an operator (e.g., a surgeon) to clean the laparoscope 101 without having to remove it from the abdomen of the patient, in operation. The medical device 100 can allow for a safer procedure as the medical device 100 can militate against moments in which the operator cannot visualize the surgical field. The medical device 100, disclosed herein, can be safer than conventional tools as the medical device 100 can have no separable parts. Additionally, the medical device 100 can be configured to use warm physiological saline solution as well as carbon dioxide, which is already used to establish and maintain the pneumoperitoneum necessary for the laparoscopic procedure. In other words, the medical device 100 can be operated without introducing undesirable materials into the patient, in order to clean the lens 109 of the laparoscope 101, in operation.
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments can be embodied in many different forms, and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail. Equivalent changes, modifications and variations of some embodiments, materials, compositions, and methods can be made within the scope of the present technology, with substantially similar results.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/985,466 filed on Mar. 5, 2020. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62985466 | Mar 2020 | US |