Adjustable Surgical Pointer for Precise Ergonomic Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical pointers require multiple lengths for different surgical applications, often failing to meet the user's ergonomic preferences, leading to suboptimal surgical outcomes due to imprecise object positioning.
Innovation Solution
A length-adjustable surgical pointer with a movable shaft relative to the handle, equipped with optical indicators for precise length adjustment, allowing continuous or discrete adjustments, and integrated with a tracker for real-time tracking and navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fixed-length pointers are provided for different surgical applications, then the adaptability to different surgical needs is improved, but the device complexity and the number of required pointers increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the pointer length adjustable rather than fixed. The shaft can be extended or retracted relative to the handle, allowing a single pointer to dynamically adapt to different surgical requirements. This eliminates the need for multiple fixed-length pointers while maintaining versatility across different surgical applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by designing a single pointer that can perform multiple functions across different surgical scenarios. The adjustable length mechanism enables one pointer to replace multiple specialized pointers, making the device universally applicable to various surgical needs without requiring a set of different fixed-length pointers.
2Device complexity
If a single fixed-length pointer is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different surgical applications and user preferences deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pointer incorporates a dynamic length adjustment mechanism where the shaft can be moved relative to the handle during surgical procedures. This allows a single simple device to adapt its length for different surgical applications and user ergonomic preferences, avoiding the need for complex sets of multiple fixed-length pointers.
3Manufacturing precision
If the pointer length is fixed during manufacturing, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the ease of operation and user customization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by making the pointer length dynamically adjustable after manufacturing. The shaft can be extended or retracted relative to the handle during operation, allowing users to customize the length for their ergonomic preferences while maintaining manufacturing precision for each individual length configuration through proper locking mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A length-adjustable surgical pointer is provided. The pointer comprises a shaft carrying a pointing tip and a handle supporting the shaft. At least a portion of the shaft is movable in a translatory manner relative to the handle so as to adjust a distance between the pointing tip and the handle.