Nantong University Affiliated Hospital Licenses Minimally Invasive Surgical Instrument Patent for RMB 1.6 Million

Recently, the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University released a public notice on the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, proposing to license its technologies through ordinary licensing agreements.“A Minimally Invasive Surgical Instrument and Its Method of Use”The relevant patents are licensed to industry partners, with a total transaction amount of RMB1.6 million yuan, the transaction amount is proposed to be disbursed in the form of funding for horizontal scientific research projects. The inventor of this patented technology isChen Jianle and Jiang Yun。

This invention relates to a minimally invasive surgical instrument and its method of use, with the core purpose of achieving tissue cutting operations in minimally invasive surgery, while addressing the difficulties of post-operative cleaning and the risk of contaminant backflow associated with traditional instruments.

Minimally invasive surgery has become the mainstream therapeutic approach in clinical surgery, owing to its prominent advantages such as minimal trauma and rapid recovery. The cleanliness of surgical instruments is directly linked to the risk of surgical site infections and the safety of instrument reuse, making it a critical component in ensuring healthcare quality. During minimally invasive procedures, such as laparoscopy and thoracoscopy, instruments like surgical scissors must penetrate deep into the lesion area to perform tissue dissection. Post-operatively, contaminants such as tissue debris and bodily fluids are highly likely to remain within the lumens of trocars and the crevices of scissor blades. Inadequate cleaning allows these residues to harbor pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, thereby leading to cross-infections that pose severe threats to patient health and life.

Cleaning of Such Minimally Invasive Surgical Instruments, is one of the core tasks of the Clinical Sterile Supply Department (CSSD). For example, after minimally invasive abdominal surgery, contaminants such as residual intestinal wall tissue and blood within the instrument cannulas are highly adhesive and difficult to remove through conventional rinsing. In minimally invasive orthopedic surgeries, bone debris and tissue fibers may adhere to the instrument surfaces; if left for prolonged periods, these residues can cause rusting and functional impairment of the instruments, thereby shortening their service life.

Thus, it can be seen thatEfficient and Thorough CleaningIt is a necessary prerequisite for the reuse of minimally invasive surgical instruments and a key measure to reduce healthcare-associated infection rates.

Currently, traditional minimally invasive surgical instruments used in clinical practice generally lack dedicated cleaning structure designs, presenting numerous challenges during the cleaning process. Conventional cleaning methods mostly involve immersing the entire instrument in a cleaning solution or rinsing it with simple water flow. However, since instrument cannulas are closed tubular structures, water flow struggles to penetrate their interiors. This makes it easy for contaminants to backflow into the deeper parts of the cannula, creating "cleaning blind spots" and significantly reducing cleaning efficacy. Some instruments with complex structures have numerous crevices; if manual wiping is employed, the process is not only cumbersome and inefficient but may also cause damage to the instruments due to improper wiping force.

Furthermore, traditional instruments are not equipped with water flow regulation and path optimization devices. During the cleaning process, the velocity and direction of the water flow cannot be adapted to the internal structure of the instruments, making it difficult to generate sufficient flushing force to remove stubborn contaminants. Moreover, cleaning solutions tend to remain inside the instruments after washing, necessitating additional drying procedures, which undoubtedly increases the workload for healthcare professionals.

Furthermore, the disassembly process for certain instruments is relatively complex; improper reassembly after cleaning may compromise their operational precision, thereby limiting clinical usage efficiency.

In light of these issues, there is an urgent clinical need for a new type of minimally invasive surgical instrument featuring a dedicated cleaning structure, ease of operation, and reliable cleaning efficacy, to resolve the current industry challenges in cleaning minimally invasive surgical instruments.

Addressing industry pain points associated with traditional minimally invasive surgical instruments, such as numerous cleaning blind spots, susceptibility to contaminant backflow, and suboptimal operational adaptability, the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University has developed “a type of minimally invasive surgical instrument,” with“Dedicated Cleaning System + Ergonomic Control Design”Centered on core technologies and leveraging multi-structural collaborative innovation, we have developed an integrated solution featuring “sterile efficiency + precise control,” achieving a systematic upgrade from core functionalities to detailed user experience, thereby significantly enhancing the clinical utility and safety of minimally invasive surgical instruments.

The core breakthrough of this device lies inInnovatively integrated targeted cleaning system, effectively resolving the issue of incomplete cleaning associated with traditional instruments. Most traditional minimally invasive surgical instruments lack dedicated cleaning channels, making it difficult for water flow to penetrate deep into the cannulas, which easily leads to backflow and residual contamination.

The present invention, by incorporating a built-in independent cleaning component,A complete irrigation pathway of “water intake – water guidance – velocity acceleration – flow control” has been established:The water inlet pipe enables rapid connection to a water source; the cleaning tube, composed of connecting segments, an arched segment, and a flexible inclined segment, can be precisely extended into the inner cavity of the cannula and oriented at an acute angle toward the inner wall, thereby achieving targeted irrigation of “cleaning dead zones” such as the scissor gaps and deep areas within the cannula; the speed-increasing wheel allows flexible adjustment of water flow velocity according to the type of contaminants, generating high-efficiency flushing force to effectively remove stubborn residues such as tissue debris and viscous bodily fluids.

Meanwhile, the cleaning gap reserved between the drive shaft and the cannula ensures smooth circulation and drainage of the cleaning fluid, significantly reducing the risk of cross-infection.

In terms of operational performance, the device deeply integrates ergonomics with precision transmission mechanisms to achieve accurate and effortless surgical manipulation.The handle design comprehensively considers clinical usage habits:The cylindrical section of the first handle forms an angle of 120°–150° with the grip section, and its outer diameter gradually tapers along the direction of the cannula. This design not only aligns with the operational angles required for minimally invasive surgery but also alleviates hand fatigue caused by prolonged gripping. The oval-shaped first and second trigger holes conform to the natural trajectory of finger exertion. Working in synergy with the abutment part, spring, and compression spring, they ensure smooth and reliable movement of the drive shaft: squeezing the handle extends the scissors, while releasing it allows the drive shaft to automatically reset. Under the limiting action of the cannula’s side wall, the scissors close precisely, ensuring stable shearing of lesion tissue without slippage. The scissor tips feature an arcuate structure to further enhance cutting stability. The cannula and cylindrical section are connected via threads, balancing intraoperative stability with post-operative ease of disassembly, thereby facilitating maintenance and extending service life.

Furthermore, multiple detailed optimizations have enhanced the practicality and safety protection capabilities of the device. The inclined section of the cleaning tube is made of flexible material and is equipped with a toggle assembly and a stop bar. By adjusting the locking position of the abutment crossbar, the support height can be changed, thereby allowing flexible adjustment of the irrigation angle to accommodate various cleaning requirements.

The protective structure, composed of a cover frame and inclined elastic bands, effectively shields the arched section from collision damage and cushions external impacts. Upon completion of cleaning, the elastic occlusion component works in concert with the actuation assembly to rapidly seal the outlet of the rigid transverse tube segment, preventing foreign body intrusion or backflow contamination, thereby ensuring internal cleanliness of the device.

These designs not only improve cleaning efficiency but also significantly enhance the durability and clinical reliability of the instruments, providing healthcare professionals with safer and more efficient operational support.

With the widespread adoption of minimally invasive surgery across various clinical departments, market demand for minimally invasive instruments that combine operational precision with ease of cleaning continues to grow. In response to pain points associated with traditional instruments, such as incomplete cleaning and suboptimal operational compatibility, domestic and international enterprises are driving technological innovation through functional integration and structural optimization. This has established a competitive landscape characterized by “functional upgrades of single-use instruments + innovation in reprocessing systems for reusable instruments,” with technical parameters and application progress of related products substantiated by publicly available information.

Changzhou Ankang Medical Device Co., Ltd.Deeply cultivated in the field of minimally invasive surgical instruments, and launched“Disposable Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Cutting Stapler and Components”, with a focus on optimizing the convenience and precision of surgical procedures.

This product is suitable for tissue resection, transection, and anastomosis in multiple departments, including abdominal surgery, gynecology, and pediatrics. Its core advantage lies in its design for full-process one-handed operation, allowing the surgeon to free up the other hand to assist with endoscopic procedures, thereby enhancing surgical continuity.

The product’s articulating head supports 45° adaptive, stepless angle adjustment, combined with enhanced jaw pressure and equidistant three-point gap control technology to ensure consistent staple formation and stable tissue handling. All models can pass through a 12mm trocar, meeting the requirements of conventional minimally invasive surgical scenarios.

Currently, this product has developed into a multi-specification series that can meet the needs of different suture lengths and staple heights, with a clear market application foundation.

Blue Sail MedicalBlue Sail Surgical, its subsidiary, has launched“RenoVue® Disposable Endoscopic Closed-Lens Cleaning Trocar”, innovatively achieving an integrated design of minimally invasive channels and cleaning functions. The core highlight of this product lies in its built-in closed-loop cleaning system, which leverages pulsed gas-elastic flow technology with gas-liquid two-phase mixing to efficiently remove contaminants such as blood and lipids from the lens surface in just 3 seconds. Meanwhile, its unique W-shaped bottom structure forms a uniform water film to prevent "temperature-difference fogging," ensuring sustained clarity of the surgical field. The product adopts an intelligent, non-intrusive switch design that enables fully automatic in-situ lens cleaning without requiring ex vivo manipulation. This not only avoids interruption of the surgical procedure but also enhances the convenience of cleaning.

Amidst the wave of iterative advancements in minimally invasive medical technologies toward greater precision and safety, the upgrading of surgical instruments is providing new solutions for the enhancement of clinical devices. As the translation of research achievements into practical applications advances, such innovative explorations focused on addressing actual clinical pain points will continue to invigorate the integration of healthcare and industry. This will ensure that technological breakthroughs are effectively translated into tangible clinical outcomes that safeguard patient health, thereby injecting sustained momentum into the high-quality development of the field of minimally invasive surgery.