Flexible Arm Wire Tensioning for Surgical Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flexible arms used in surgical procedures lack adjustability and stability, particularly in maintaining tension and pressure during adjustments, leading to potential slippage and loss of positioning accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A flexible arm design featuring a central portion with varying-sized bushings and curved members that guide a wire to maintain tension and pressure, allowing for adjustable positioning without loosening, using a system of actuators and adapters to secure accessories like retractor blades or spatulas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing flexible arms are used for surgical procedures, then basic positioning functionality is provided, but adjustability and stability are insufficient leading to slippage and loss of positioning accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible arm employs a dynamic adjustment mechanism where the actuator can move the arm between different positions and lock it in place. The system transitions between movable and fixed states, allowing easy adjustment during surgery while maintaining stable positioning when locked, thus resolving the contradiction between adjustability and positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible arm changes its mechanical parameters (position, tension, pressure) through the actuator system. By adjusting parameters like wire tension and arm positioning, the system achieves both ease of adjustment and reliable positioning accuracy, preventing slippage while maintaining operational flexibility.
2Reliability
If actuators are engaged frequently to maintain positioning, then positioning accuracy is maintained, but operation complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible arm is pre-configured with the actuator system and locking mechanism before surgery begins. The arm can be initially positioned and locked in the desired configuration, eliminating the need for frequent actuator engagements during the procedure. This preliminary setup ensures positioning stability without continuous time-consuming adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible arm system incorporates self-locking or self-maintaining features where the actuator engages once to set the position, and the mechanical design maintains that position through inherent stability features (such as friction locks or gravity-assisted positioning), reducing the need for repeated actuator engagement and saving surgical time.
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
Enables precise and secure adjustments of surgical accessories by maintaining constant tension and pressure, preventing slippage and ensuring accurate positioning without the need for constant actuator engagement.
Implementation Method 1
A flexible arm design featuring a central portion with varying-sized bushings and curved members that guide a wire to maintain tension and pressure
Implementation Method 2
varying-sized bushings and curved members that guide a wire to maintain tension and pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible arm for use in a medical procedure includes a plurality of bushings and a plurality of double-ball members engaged with one another to thereby provide flexibility to the flexible arm. The double-ball members include a concave bore having a convex interior surface. The flexible arm further includes a wire extending through the concave bore of the double-ball members. An exterior diameter of the wire closely approximates or matches an interior diameter of the concave bore at its smallest point such that the curved members are operable to guide the wire as the flexible arm is flexed. The wire may be adjusted to thereby manipulate the amount of engagement between the bushings and the double-ball members to thereby manipulate the flexibility of the flexible arm.