Surgical Adapter Docking Station for Secure Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical tools lack an efficient and secure method for attaching and detaching adapters to adapter inserters, particularly in surgeries where ligaments, tendons, or sutures need to be affixed to bones, leading to difficulties in handling small, slippery adapters during procedures.
Innovation Solution
A docking station system with a handle block, push assembly, and engagement mechanism that securely holds and releases the adapter inserter, allowing for easy attachment and detachment of adapters, and includes a rotatable knob for expanding the adapter for bone fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adapters are handled manually during surgery, then the surgeon has direct control, but the risk of accidents and difficulty in handling small slippery adapters increases
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station serves as an intermediary device between the surgeon and the adapter inserter. It provides a secure interface with retainer arms that engage with the adapter inserter, allowing the surgeon to manipulate the device through the docking station's controls rather than handling the small adapter directly. This mediator approach reduces handling difficulty while maintaining safety.
2Reliability
If the adapter inserter is held securely during surgery, then attachment and detachment are reliable, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station incorporates spring-loaded retainer arms that automatically engage with the adapter inserter when placed in the docking station. The springs provide automatic locking without requiring additional manual intervention or complex locking mechanisms. This self-service approach achieves reliable attachment while minimizing system complexity.
3Productivity
If the adapter inserter can be easily detached for sterilization, then sterilization efficiency improves, but the secure holding during surgery may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into separable components: the adapter inserter can be easily detached from the docking station by simply removing it from the recess. The docking station remains stationary during surgery providing secure holding, while the adapter inserter can be quickly removed for sterilization and returned when needed. This segmentation allows both secure holding during use and easy detachment for sterilization.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a system for inserting an adapter including a docking station and an adapter inserter. The docking station can include a handle block, a push assembly, and a linkage connecting knob push handle to an engagement tube pull block. The engagement tube pull block can extend from the linkage through a portion of the handle block. The adapter inserter can include a handle body, an engagement assembly, and a clamp. The handle body can be sized to fit in a first recess defined by the handle block body. The engagement assembly can extend from a second end of the handle body and can be configured to engage the adapter at a tip of the engagement assembly. The clamp can be located within and proximate a second end of the handle body so as to engage a portion of the engagement assembly.