Cervical-Thoracic Notch Restraint for Surgical Table Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient restraints for surgery tables, particularly in the Trendelenburg position, fail to effectively prevent patient sliding during robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery, leading to risks of injury due to the lack of precise movement detection by robotic systems and resulting in issues like incisional tears, post-operative hernias, and increased pain.
Innovation Solution
A patient positioning device with a rigid support frame and a cervical-thoracic notch restraint made of resiliently deformable material, securely fixed to the table, which uses a repositionable fastener to inhibit movement by applying a resisting force against the trapezius muscle and spinal column, capable of supporting forces up to 450 pounds even in inclined positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed shoulder braces are used to restrain patients, then patient sliding is prevented, but serious nerve damage occurs due to brachial plexus compression
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the shoulder brace component entirely from the restraint system and replaces it with a pelvic restraint device that anchors the patient through the pelvis region, eliminating the harmful brachial plexus compression while maintaining positioning stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a pelvic restraint device as an intermediary mechanism that provides effective patient anchoring without directly contacting or compressing the shoulder and brachial plexus regions, thereby mediating between the need for stability and the avoidance of nerve damage
2Object-affected harmful factors
If tape and foam restraints are used, then nerve injury risk is reduced, but patients still slide 1 to 8 inches during surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The pelvic restraint device is applied preliminarily to securely anchor the patient's pelvis to the table before the surgical procedure begins, preventing gradual sliding that occurs with weaker restraints like tape and foam
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the restraint mechanism from soft, compliant materials (tape and foam) to a more rigid pelvic restraint system with adjustable positioning capabilities, enabling precise control over patient position and preventing sliding while avoiding nerve compression
3Reliability
If robotic arms and instruments are used to restrain sliding patients, then patient positioning is maintained, but incisional tears and post-operative hernias occur
Solution Approach 1:
The pelvic restraint device is applied preliminarily to securely anchor the patient before the robotic procedure begins, preventing the need for robotic instruments to bear restraint loads that could cause tissue damage at instrument insertion sites
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 device effectively prevents patient sliding during surgical procedures, ensuring patient safety and maintaining anesthesia access and surgical site exposure, while being intuitive and easy to use, thus reducing the risk of injuries associated with movement during robotic surgery.
Implementation Method 1
A cervical-thoracic notch restraint formed of a resiliently deformable material... The curved support is load-bearing to thereby apply a resisting force against the trapezius muscle and a spinal column of the body
Data Source
AI summary
A patient positioning device is provided for restraining movement of a body lying over a top surface of a table. The device includes a cervical-thoracic notch restraint that includes a base with a first side and an opposed second side. The first side defines a substantially flat plane with a repositionable fastener, and the second side defines a substantially flat plane with a raised, curved support extending transversely across the base. In an operational state, the curved support is configured to nest into an anatomical cervical-thoracic notch of the body lying over the table to abut a trapezius muscle of the body. In one example, a rigid support frame extends transversely over the top surface of the table, and the cervical-thoracic notch restraint is securely fixed to the upper support surface of the support frame.