Digit-Mounted Illumination Source for Confined Surgical Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lighting solutions for precision tasks in confined spaces, such as surgical environments, face challenges due to power and space constraints, often requiring tethering to a power source or relying on limited onboard batteries, which hinder movement and duration of use.
Innovation Solution
A compact, single-use digit-mounted light source powered by onboard cells, featuring focused LED elements and a self-contained design that secures to a finger, providing localized illumination with a deformable prong system for secure fit and minimizing diffusion losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional lighting solutions are used in confined spaces, then illumination can be provided, but movement is hindered due to tethering requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power source from the external environment by integrating a coin cell battery directly into the miniature flashlight housing. This eliminates the need for external power tethers or outlets, allowing the device to operate independently in confined surgical spaces while maintaining full illumination functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested configuration where the coin cell battery is housed within the miniature flashlight structure. The battery compartment is integrated into the device body, with the battery itself nested within a recessed area, allowing compact power storage without increasing the already-minimal device footprint.
2Duration of action of moving object
If onboard batteries are used for portability, then movement freedom is improved, but duration of use is constrained by limited battery capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the power consumption parameters by using high-efficiency LED lighting elements that consume minimal power from the coin cell battery. The LED's low power draw extends the operational duration significantly compared to conventional bulb-based flashlights, allowing the small battery to provide illumination for the entire surgical procedure without requiring large battery capacity.
3Illumination intensity
If light source is placed away from the work area, then device design is simplified, but illumination effectiveness decreases due to diffusion losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by directing the LED light source to shine directly onto the surgical instrument or work area, creating a localized illumination zone exactly where it is needed. The reflector and lens components are positioned to concentrate light energy at the specific work point, eliminating diffusion losses that would occur with distant light sources.
4Reliability
If reusable lighting devices are used, then cost is reduced, but cross-contamination risk increases in surgical environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable device design where the entire miniature flashlight assembly, including the coin cell battery and housing, is discarded after a single surgical use. This eliminates any risk of cross-contamination between patients or procedures, while the low cost of the disposable unit makes this approach economically feasible. The device is manufactured as a single-use item, eliminating the need for cleaning, sterilization, or maintenance.
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
This solution enhances precision and efficiency by ensuring bright, focused illumination immediately proximate to the operator's dexterity, reducing eye strain and extending use duration without the need for extensive battery life, while maintaining sterility and cost-effectiveness through single-use materials.
Implementation Method 1
energized by an unretractable switch or contact closed by device activation. As with many surgical accessories, single-use materials and accessories mitigate cross contamination from other patients or procedures
Implementation Method 2
A plurality of deformable prongs extends from the body, such that the prongs are adapted for forming an annular, concave form for resiliently converging around a human digit in a biased clamping or compression fit
Data Source
AI summary
A compact precision illumination source mounts on a finger of a user for providing localized illumination for precision tasks such as surgical procedures and other tasks performed in dark or confined spaces. A frame having a circular or arcuate shape engages the finger, and secures an enclosure having a small but powerful bright, light focused on a predetermined region defined by the end of the digit that is likely the activity region for an instrument grasped by the digit. The frame engages a charge module for aligning external conductors for recharging a power supply in the illumination source.