Compound Curve Cable Chain for 360° Medical Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile three-dimensional imaging systems in healthcare settings, such as operating rooms, face limitations in freedom of movement and positioning, hindering their acceptance and use due to restricted ability to access patients from any direction or height, and existing cable management systems risk entangling or damaging cables during 360° scans.
Innovation Solution
A cable chain system comprising split tubing and links with magnetic attachments to a gantry, allowing for internal cable management that follows a compound curve and operates in any orientation, ensuring cables are protected and follow a prescribed path during full-range motion, preventing damage and interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If mobile three-dimensional imaging systems are designed with fixed bore structures, then the system structure is simple and stable, but the freedom of movement and positioning capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by transforming the fixed bore structure into a dynamic, movable gantry system that can rotate 360 degrees and adjust to various positions. The imaging system is mounted on a movable platform with wheels and adjustable arms, allowing it to dynamically reposition around the patient while maintaining structural integrity through controlled motion mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements another dimension by adding rotational and positional degrees of freedom to the imaging system. Instead of a single fixed orientation, the gantry can move in multiple dimensions (rotation around the patient, adjustment of height and angle), enabling access from any direction while the patient remains stationary.
2Reliability
If cables are routed externally during 360° scanning, then the system has simple cable management, but the cables risk entangling or damaging during motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the nested doll principle by routing cables through a hierarchical structure: cables are first enclosed in protective conduits, then these conduits are integrated into the gantry's structural framework, and finally the entire assembly is nested within the movable platform. This multi-layer nesting protects cables from entanglement while maintaining system compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses intermediary elements such as cable carriers, protective conduits, and guide channels that act as mediators between the moving imaging components and the stationary cable supply. These intermediaries absorb the mechanical stress of motion, preventing direct transmission of forces that would cause cable entanglement or damage.
3Ease of operation
If the imaging system is made fully mobile for patient access from any direction, then patient accessibility is improved, but the system stability and positioning precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the mobile imaging system into separate functional modules: a movable platform for positioning, a gantry for rotation, and an imaging assembly for scanning. Each module can be independently controlled and stabilized, allowing the system to achieve complex positioning while maintaining stability during the actual imaging process through coordinated module operation.
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 cable chain system enables 360° scanning without entangling or damaging cables, maintaining high-quality three-dimensional imaging capabilities regardless of patient position or gantry orientation, enhancing the mobility and effectiveness of imaging systems in dynamic healthcare environments.
Implementation Method 1
The outer surface comprises a magnet
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments generally relate to routing a bundle of loose cables with a cable chain during a medical procedure. The cable chain comprises split tubing and a plurality of links extending discretely along a length of the split tubing. Each link comprises a housing including an outer surface and an inner surface. The outer surface comprises a magnet and the inner surface forms a recess in the link. The split tubing is disposed within the recesses of the links.