Articulating Surgical Frame for Single-Person Patient Repositioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical frames are difficult to articulate and reposition patients during surgery, requiring multiple personnel and complicating surgical approaches.
Innovation Solution
A surgical frame with adjustable components that allow for pivoting and repositioning of patients, including a torso-lift support, pelvic-tilt support, and coronal adjustment assembly, enabling single-person operation and accommodating different patient sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional surgical frames are used, then patient positioning is stable, but repositioning requires multiple personnel and is difficult to articulate
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical frame incorporates dynamically adjustable components including a torso-lift support that can elevate the patient's upper body, a pelvic-tilt support that can adjust pelvic angle, and a coronal adjustment assembly that enables lateral tilting. These dynamic elements allow the frame to transition between multiple patient positions (prone, lateral, angled) without requiring manual repositioning by multiple personnel, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The frame is divided into segmented, independently adjustable components: the torso-lift support operates independently from the pelvic-tilt support, which in turn operates independently from the coronal adjustment assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be adjusted separately to achieve complex patient positions, reducing the operational complexity despite the overall system sophistication
2Adaptability or versatility
If fixed surgical frames are used, then manufacturing is simple, but adaptability to different patient sizes and surgical approaches is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical frame is designed as a universal platform that can accommodate patients of different sizes and support multiple surgical approaches through its multi-functional components. The torso-lift support, pelvic-tilt support, and coronal adjustment assembly work together to provide positioning capabilities for various surgical procedures, making the frame adaptable to different patient anatomies and surgical requirements without requiring multiple specialized frames
Solution Approach 2:
The frame utilizes adjustable parameters including the elevation angle of the torso-lift support, the tilt angle of the pelvic-tilt support, and the coronal tilt angle of the adjustment assembly. By varying these parameters, the frame can be configured to accommodate different patient sizes and surgical approaches, achieving versatility through parameter adjustment rather than structural redesign
3Productivity
If manual patient repositioning is performed, then no additional equipment is needed, but surgical time is increased and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning mechanisms are designed to enable self-adjustment of patient position during surgery. The adjustable components allow the surgical team to reposition the patient independently without requiring multiple personnel for manual handling, thereby reducing surgical time and improving productivity while the frame structure itself provides the repositioning capability
Data Source
AI summary
A positioning frame and method for use thereof for supporting a patient to facilitate different surgical approaches to the spine is provided. The positioning frame includes a main support beam, first and second support structures, a torso-lift support, and a pelvic-tilt support. The main support beam has a first end, a second end, and a length extending between the first and second ends. The main support beam defines and is rotatable an axis of rotation relative to at least the first and second support structures to adjust the rotatable position of the patient support thereby. The torso-lift support is attached to the main support beam, and is configured to pivot to move the torso of the patient between an unlifted position and a lifted position. The pelvic-tilt support is also attached to the main support beam, and is configured to support and move the thighs and the lower legs of the patient to facilitate adjustment of the hips of the patient.