Curvable Sheath Retainer for Radiation Shielding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Healthcare practitioners face significant radiation exposure during medical procedures due to traditional radiation shielding methods being bulky and obtrusive, leading to ergonomic and orthopedic stress, which often results in undesirable levels of radiation exposure.
Innovation Solution
A medical sheath system with a retainer device that allows a curvable tube to be retained in various configurations, positioning it outside the radiation field and in ergonomic positions, reducing exposure and stress while maintaining stability and access during procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional radiation shielding and body wear are used, then radiation protection is provided, but the equipment becomes bulky and obtrusive, increasing orthopedic stress and reducing ergonomic efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the radiation shielding function from traditional bulky body wear and relocates it to a fixed shield positioned outside the treatment area. The curvable tube allows the medical device to be manipulated outside the radiation field, separating the shielding requirement from the operator's body and eliminating the need for heavy lead aprons and gloves.
Solution Approach 2:
The curvable tube acts as an intermediary element that transmits mechanical force from the operator's hand (positioned outside the radiation field) to the medical device insertion point. This intermediary allows force transmission while maintaining spatial separation between the operator and the radiation source, eliminating the need for direct hand exposure.
2Ease of operation
If traditional equipment and techniques are used, then direct access to the treatment area is achieved, but cumulative radiation exposure of physicians and healthcare workers becomes significant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension solution by allowing the curvable tube to extend and curve in three-dimensional space. This enables the operator to position their hand outside the radiation field while still achieving access to the treatment area through the tube's curved path, effectively adding a spatial dimension to the access problem that eliminates radiation exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The curvable tube is designed to be dynamically reconfigurable, allowing it to bend and curve to different positions. This dynamic property enables the tube to adapt its path to route the operator's hand outside the radiation field while maintaining connection to the treatment area, providing flexible access without fixed geometric constraints.
3Productivity
If the sheath is positioned within the radiation field for direct access, then treatment efficiency is maintained, but radiation exposure to the operator's hands increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sheath into a curvable portion and a fixed portion. The curvable portion can be positioned outside the radiation field for operator manipulation, while the fixed portion maintains the treatment connection. This segmentation allows different sections of the sheath to fulfill different functions in different spatial zones, enabling efficient treatment without hand exposure.
Data Source
AI summary
In general, medical sheath systems that can employ retainer devices having a plurality of channels configured to retain a sheath assembly in one or more curved configurations are described. In one embodiment, a retainer device may releasably retain a curvable tube of the sheath assembly in any of multiple curved configurations that range, for example, in selectable increments between 0° to 180°.