Disposable Bidirectional Ratchet With Spring Actuators for Sterile Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional medical ratchets require repeat sterilization, are prone to coating or caking with medical waste, and may fail to operate effectively over time due to degradation, necessitating a solution that eliminates the need for repeated sterilization and extends operational cycles.
Innovation Solution
A disposable bidirectional ratchet with a hollow handle, toggle, and unitary plastic actuators featuring fingers, levers, and toes, where the pin position selects engagement direction, and levers act as springs to maintain finger contact with teeth, reducing the need for sterilization and extending operational cycles by deforming to apply adequate pressure for a limited number of actuations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional ratchets are used in medical procedures, then they can perform bidirectional ratcheting function, but they require repeat sterilization and are susceptible to coating with medical waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a disposable ratchet device that is designed for single-use in medical procedures. The entire ratchet assembly including handle, actuators, clutch, and shaft is configured as a disposable unit that is discarded after use, eliminating the need for sterilization and preventing contamination from medical waste coating. This resolves the contradiction by accepting the device as short-lived in exchange for eliminating sterilization requirements.
2Productivity
If traditional ratchets are used repeatedly, then they can be reused, but they may fall out of specification and fail to operate over time
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable ratchet design eliminates the degradation and failure issues by being replaced after a predetermined number of use cycles (e.g., 600 cycles). The new device replaces the old one before the old device falls out of specification, ensuring operational reliability is maintained throughout its service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is pre-configured with a predetermined maximum number of use cycles (e.g., 600 cycles) before it is deployed. This preliminary determination of service life allows the system to replace the device before degradation occurs, preventing failure and maintaining reliability throughout the operational period.
3Ease of manufacture
If the ratchet is designed for limited use cycles, then sterilization is obviated, but the device must be replaced after approximately 600 cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent accepts the trade-off of limited operational duration (approximately 600 cycles) in exchange for eliminating sterilization requirements. The disposable nature of the device makes it economically and logistically feasible to replace frequently without the burden of sterilization processes.
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 solution provides a compact, novel ratchet that obviates the need for repeat sterilization and extends operational cycles, ensuring consistent function for approximately 600 cycles before potential failure, addressing the issues of medical waste contamination and operational reliability.
Implementation Method 1
the levers deform and act as springs applying adequate pressure to the fingers to have the fingers follow the contours of the teeth
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable bidirectional ratchet, which has a tubular hollow handle with an interior surface having teeth thereon; a toggle mounted movably within the handle; a knob connected to an end of the toggle moves the toggle inside the handle; a plurality of pins on another end of the toggle; a plurality of actuators each comprising: fingers, levers, toes and a head, and having a post guide formed therein; a plurality of posts affixed to a clutch; and, wherein the actuators are movable affixed to the clutch via the posts, and the pin position selects the direction of engagement via adjustment of the actuator position via applying force to the levers, which moves the lateral edges of the actuator towards or away from the teeth.