Aerodynamic Surgical Light Head Tubular Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional surgical lights and equipment in operating rooms disrupt laminar airflow ventilation, causing turbulence and preventing the effective clearance of airborne particles and pathogens from the sterile surgical field, due to their aerodynamically unfavorable designs and the waste heat from patient warming systems.

Innovation Solution

The design of aerodynamic surgical light heads and booms with tubular housings that minimize blunt body surface area, featuring open spaces or thru-pass ducts to reduce turbulence and vortex formation, combined with a ball and socket joint system for balanced positioning, and the use of lightweight, aerodynamically shaped materials like carbon fiber or fiberglass.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If conventional surgical lights with flat plate design are used, then the light head provides adequate illumination coverage, but it creates high drag coefficient and disrupts laminar airflow ventilation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveillumination coverageVSAvoidairflow disruption

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies curved surfaces instead of flat plates by designing the light head with a rounded, aerodynamic shape that allows laminar airflow to follow the contour smoothly. This curvature eliminates the flow separation and turbulence that would occur with a flat plate, reducing the drag coefficient while maintaining illumination coverage through strategically positioned light sources on the curved surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Area of stationary object

If large diameter light heads are used to cover the surgical field, then illumination area is improved, but airflow obstruction and turbulence increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveillumination areaVSAvoidairflow obstruction

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the large light head into multiple smaller light sources or modular segments arranged in an array. Each segment is aerodynamically shaped and allows airflow to pass through or around it with minimal disruption. The collective arrangement provides the necessary illumination area while the segmented structure reduces overall airflow obstruction compared to a single large flat plate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If traditional boom structures are used to position surgical lights, then positioning flexibility is achieved, but the boom structure creates significant airflow obstruction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning flexibilityVSAvoidairflow obstruction

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional rigid boom structures with flexible, thin-walled tubular structures that have minimal cross-sectional area. These thin-film-like booms can still support and position the surgical light with the required flexibility, but their reduced material thickness and aerodynamic shape significantly decrease airflow obstruction and turbulence generation in the laminar flow field.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design minimizes airflow obstruction, reduces turbulence and negative pressure regions, and enhances the effectiveness of laminar ventilation in maintaining a sterile surgical field by allowing free airflow and preventing the re-suspension of contaminants, thereby improving safety for patients and surgical staff.

Implementation Method 1

Laminar flow ventilation in contrast, flows from the ceiling through vents that cover the entire area above the surgical table... Laminar flow is defined as air flowing in parallel layers with no disruption between those layers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLaminar flow: Laminar Flow

Implementation Method 2

The relatively flat surface on the side of the light head facing the airflow (top side) induces significant turbulence as the downward ventilation airflow is forced to part in order to flow around the light head

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTurbulence: Turbulence

Implementation Method 3

In engineering terms this disc-shaped light head design would be described as a 'flat plate perpendicular to the flow' which results in nearly the highest 'drag coefficient' of any possible design. The higher the drag coefficient, the less aerodynamic the design

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDrag: Drag

Data Source

PatentUS11903773B2Aerodynamic surgical light and boom systems

Publication Date: 2024.02.20 AUGUSTINE BIOMEDICAL DESIGN LLC

AI summary

Disclosure herein are aerodynamic surgical lights and methods of manufacturing and use thereof. The aerodynamic surgical lights may include a light head made of one or more substantially tubular light housings. The substantially tubular light housings contain and protect a plurality of LED lights and their respective reflectors that aim a light beam toward the lower side of the substantially tubular light housings. The substantially tubular light housings are vertically elongate. The vertically elongated substantially tubular light housings include upper sections that are aerodynamically curved or pointed to streamline airflow past the light housings. The upper sections of the substantially tubular light housings are made of molded plastic resin reinforced with carbon fibers or glass fibers and the lower sections of the substantially tubular light housings are made of a clear moldable plastic.