Height-Adjustable Medical Bucket with Retained Sterile Positioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical buckets used in operating rooms face challenges in balancing accessibility and storage needs, with low-height buckets compromising sterility and high-height buckets lacking easy storage and accessibility during procedures.
Innovation Solution
A height-adjustable bucket with a movable carrier and lifting member that allows the receptacle to transition between a low position for easy storage and a high position for ergonomic use, featuring a retainer mechanism and dampening assembly for controlled movement, ensuring the receptacle remains within the sterile field when needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the bucket height is increased to improve accessibility during procedures, then accessibility is improved, but storage convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bucket employs a height-adjustable carrier that can dynamically change position between high and low settings. The carrier is movably coupled to the support member, allowing it to transition between a high position for accessibility during procedures and a low position for convenient storage, thus resolving the contradiction between fixed height accessibility and storage convenience
2Ease of manufacture
If the bucket height is decreased to improve storage convenience, then storage convenience is improved, but sterility maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The height-adjustable carrier allows the bucket to dynamically adapt its height. During procedures, the carrier can be positioned high to maintain sterility by keeping the receptacle within the sterile field, while during storage, it can be lowered for convenience. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between storage convenience and sterility maintenance
3Adaptability or versatility
If the carrier movement is made unrestricted to improve adjustability, then adaptability is improved, but control and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer mechanism is pre-configured to automatically engage with the carrier at specific height positions. This preliminary action ensures that when the carrier is adjusted to desired heights, it is automatically locked into place, providing stability and control while maintaining full adjustability capability
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer mechanism provides feedback control for the carrier position. As the carrier moves along the support member, the retainer detects when the carrier reaches predetermined positions and automatically engages to lock it in place, ensuring stable positioning while maintaining adjustability
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 height-adjustable bucket provides a single solution that enhances accessibility and storage convenience while maintaining sterility by allowing the receptacle to be positioned optimally for both sitting and standing healthcare professionals, with controlled movement to prevent contamination and damage.
Implementation Method 1
a retainer selectively coupling the carrier to the support member and configured to selectively retain the carrier in the relatively high position
Implementation Method 2
a lifting member slidably coupled to the carrier and configured to move between a raised position and a lowered position
Implementation Method 3
a stop member configured to operatively engage the carrier, wherein the stop member is spaced from the carrier when the lifting member is in the lowered position and when the carrier is in the relatively high position
Data Source
AI summary
A height-adjustable bucket or height-adjustable stand is adapted to carry a medical object. The bucket includes a receptacle for carrying the medical object, a base, and a support member coupled to the base. The bucket also includes a carrier movably coupled to the support member and for supporting the receptacle and a lifting member slidably coupled to the carrier and configured to move between a raised position and a lowered position. The lifting member includes a first end portion comprising a handle and a second end portion, and a retainer selectively coupling the carrier to the support member and configured to selectively retain the carrier in the relatively high position. The lifting member is configured to be in the lowered position when the carrier is in the relatively high position and when the carrier is in the relatively low position.