Drape Adaptor Torque Transfer Through Sealing Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated medical devices with both reusable and disposable parts pose challenges in maintaining a sterile environment, as the reusable parts cannot be sterilized and require a method to transfer torque/force between reusable and disposable parts without compromising sterility.
Innovation Solution
A sterile drape system including a drape sheet and a drape adaptor that couples to the reusable component of the medical device, enabling torque transfer through a sealing member between the non-sterile and sterile portions of the driving mechanism, while maintaining sterility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sterile drape is used to cover the reusable component, then sterility is maintained, but torque transfer between reusable and disposable parts becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A torque transfer mechanism with a torque transfer member extends through the sterile drape, enabling mechanical coupling between the reusable component (first portion) and disposable component (second portion) while maintaining the sterile barrier. The member passes through an opening in the drape, allowing torque transmission without compromising sterility.
Solution Approach 2:
The driving mechanism is divided into separate reusable and disposable portions that can be independently handled and sterilized. The torque transfer mechanism enables these segmented parts to work together while maintaining distinct sterile and non-sterile zones.
2Power
If direct engagement between reusable and disposable driving mechanism components is implemented, then torque transfer is efficient, but sterility is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The torque transfer member acts as an intermediary element that transmits rotational force from the reusable driving mechanism through the sterile drape to the disposable component, enabling efficient torque transfer while preventing direct contact between sterile and non-sterile components.
Solution Approach 2:
The torque transfer mechanism utilizes a longitudinal extension through the drape thickness, creating a three-dimensional pathway that allows force transmission in one dimension while maintaining the sterile barrier in other dimensions.
3Productivity
If the reusable component is used for multiple procedures, then device utilization is maximized, but cross-contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into reusable and disposable portions, allowing the reusable component to be sterilized and reused while the disposable component is discarded after single use, eliminating cross-contamination risk while maximizing device utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable component is discarded after a single procedure to prevent cross-contamination, while the reusable component is recovered, sterilized, and prepared for the next procedure, optimizing both safety and resource utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A drape adaptor configured for coupling to a first component of a medical device and for receiving a medical tool. The first component of the medical device including a non-sterile portion of a driving mechanism. The drape adaptor comprises a sealing member configured for passing therethrough at least a portion of at least one component of a sterile portion of the driving mechanism. The drape adaptor is configured to enable transmission of torque from the first component of the medical device to the medical tool via direct engagement between the at least one component of the sterile portion of the driving mechanism and the non-sterile portion of the driving mechanism, through the sealing member, without compromising the sterility of the environment external to the drape adaptor.