Surgical Tool Attachment Assembly for Stable Bone Resection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical instruments used for resecting bone tissue often experience significant vibrations during operation, leading to user discomfort and reduced precision due to the transfer of motor-induced vibrations through the tool handle.
Innovation Solution
An attachment assembly is designed to couple with the surgical tool, featuring a damping member and adjustable geometry to minimize vibrations, including a collet with gears and connection portions that transfer torque while incorporating stiffness modification and damping features to reduce vibration at the tool tip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a motorized instrument is used to resect bone tissue, then the resection capability and productivity are improved, but significant vibrations are generated that reduce precision and cause user discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary damping system between the motor and tool bit that includes a damper, flexible coupling, or viscous fluid mechanism. This intermediary component absorbs and dissipates vibrations generated by the motor while allowing torque to be transmitted to the tool bit, thereby maintaining resection capability while reducing precision-degrading vibrations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies physical parameters of the attachment assembly including adding damping coefficients, changing material properties to include vibration-damping materials, and adjusting the stiffness and mass distribution in the attachment tube and collet assembly. These parameter changes alter the vibrational characteristics of the system to reduce harmful vibrations while maintaining operational effectiveness
2Productivity
If a motorized instrument is used to resect bone tissue, then the resection capability is improved, but user comfort and stability deteriorate due to vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The damping mechanisms serve as intermediaries that isolate the user's hand and the tool handle from motor-induced vibrations. The flexible coupling and damper components absorb vibrational energy before it reaches the user, maintaining productivity while significantly improving ease of operation and user comfort
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful vibrations generated by the motor into beneficial damping effects by incorporating vibration-absorbing materials and mechanisms. The vibrational energy is transformed and dissipated as heat through viscous damping and material hysteresis, turning a harmful effect into a controlled energy dissipation process that improves user comfort
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the attachment assembly is made more rigid to reduce vibration, then vibration transmission is reduced, but the complexity of the assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than simply increasing rigidity, the patent changes the vibrational parameters of existing components by adding damping coefficients to the attachment tube and collet. This approach reduces vibration transmission through parameter modification rather than through increased structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies vibration-damping features locally at specific locations where vibrations are most problematic, such as at the interface between the collet and attachment tube. This localized approach reduces overall vibration transmission without requiring the entire assembly to be made more complex or rigid
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
The solution effectively reduces tool vibrations, enhancing user comfort and precision during surgical procedures by absorbing kinetic energy and providing a stable operation, thus reducing user fatigue and improving the accuracy of tissue resection.
Implementation Method 1
The attachment may provide various features, such as a bore diameter, length, angle, and the like to allow selecting the tool to be operated by the motor. Further, the attachment assembly may include stiffness modification and/or damping features such as damping members, thicknesses, and the like to minimize and/or reduce vibration at a tool tip and caused by the tool felt and received by a user.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an assembly for holding a tool. The assembly may selectively reduce and/or eliminate vibrations received and felt by a user. Reducing vibrations may reduce or eliminate chatter at a working end of a tool.