C-Arm Drape with Cuffs and Adhesive Strips for Sterile Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical equipment in patient care facilities is prone to contamination from bodily fluids, and existing methods of using drapes to cover equipment can lead to unintended contamination and difficulty in maintaining a sterile environment.
Innovation Solution
A drape with cuffs and adhesive strips is designed to easily and effectively cover medical equipment surfaces, featuring an impervious material layer, end cuff, side cuffs, and strategically placed adhesive strips for secure attachment and easy handling, preventing fluid penetration and minimizing user contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a drape is used to cover medical equipment, then protection from bodily fluids is improved, but the risk of contamination during application increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cuffs as intermediary elements between the user's hands and the drape material. These cuffs act as a barrier that allows users to manipulate and position the drape without direct contact, thereby preventing contamination during application while maintaining the protective function of the drape
Solution Approach 2:
The drape is designed with pre-formed cuffs and adhesive strips that are prepared in advance. The cuffs are pre-attached to the drape material, and adhesive strips are pre-positioned, allowing users to simply insert their hands into the cuffs and attach the drape without complex manipulation that could cause contamination
2Reliability
If adhesive strips are used to secure the drape, then attachment reliability is improved, but the complexity of the drape structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drape is segmented into distinct functional components: the main drape material, multiple cuffs positioned at different locations, and multiple adhesive strips. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, achieving reliable attachment through distributed adhesive points rather than a single complex fastening mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive strips are designed to be self-adhering without requiring additional fasteners, tools, or complex assembly steps. Users simply press the adhesive strips against the equipment surface, and the drape secures itself, maintaining simplicity despite the presence of multiple adhesive elements
3Ease of operation
If multiple cuffs are added to the drape, then ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cuffs are constructed from flexible material that can be easily formed and attached to the drape. This flexibility allows for simple manufacturing processes where cuffs can be cut, folded, and adhered to the drape material without complex forming or assembly operations, despite having multiple cuffs distributed across the drape
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 drape provides quick and easy installation and cleanup, maintains a sterile environment by preventing fluid contact with equipment and user gloves, and ensures effective protection of hard-to-reach areas, reducing the risk of contamination and simplifying the application process.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one adhesive strip is configured to selectively adhere the drape to a surface to be covered by the drape
Data Source
AI summary
A drape, such as but not limited to, a drape that can be used to cover a C arm of a medical device is provided. The drape includes material, at least one cuff and at least one adhesive strip. The material has a select property and has a select shape. The at least one cuff is formed along at least one edge of the material. The at least one cuff is configured to allow manipulation of the drape by a user. The at least one adhesive strip is configured to selectively adhere the drape to a surface to be covered by the drape.