A review of mechanism used in laparoscopic surgical instruments

Many surgical instruments consist of basic mechanical components such as gears, links, pivots, sliders, etc., which are common in mechanical design. This paper introduces a reference table that was created by investigating the mechanical characteristic and the differences between 16 patented laparoscopic surgical devices, most of which are surgical staplers [1-16]. Laparoscopic surgical instruments were chosen for this paper because of the complex mechanical systems used in performing their required functions. For the similar functions of stapling and kinematic maneuvering, each instrument investigated varies widely in design and the type of mechanical components used. The reference table created will benefit engineers, designers, and students in analyzing the mechanical subsystems used in surgical instruments and suggest alternative options available for replacing existing designs. Although the table was created for laparoscopic surgical devices, its application could be extended to other surgical and non-surgical devices.