Hinged Dental Tray with Removable Inserts and Illumination Pathway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental surgical trays lack efficient organization and visualization of tools, making it difficult for dentists to quickly identify and access the correct tools during procedures, and they do not effectively facilitate cleaning and storage of instruments.
Innovation Solution
A hinged dental tray with removable inserts and a drive mechanism for cleaning, featuring a pathway for illumination and actuation to position tools for easy access, and a modular design with translucent components for visibility and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional dental surgical trays are used, then the procedure is complete with basic tool storage, but the dentist cannot quickly identify and access the correct tools, increasing procedural time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color-coding to tray inserts and tool handles to enable rapid visual identification of tool types and sizes. Different colors represent different tool categories, allowing the dentist to instantly locate the correct instrument without searching through the tray.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray is divided into multiple removable inserts that can be organized by tool type, size, or procedural sequence. Each insert contains specific tools in designated slots, creating a segmented organization system that facilitates quick access and identification during the surgical procedure.
2Ease of operation
If tools are stored with sharp ends accessible, then tool access is convenient, but the risk of unwanted contact with sharp edges increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional tool orientation by storing instruments with sharp ends facing away from the dentist and toward the rear of the tray. The handles extend forward for easy grasping, while the sharp cutting edges are positioned at the back, reducing the risk of accidental contact during tray manipulation and tool selection.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the tray design is fixed, then manufacturing is simple, but the tray cannot adapt to different surgical procedures and tool configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic tray system with removable and reconfigurable inserts that can be customized for different surgical procedures. The inserts can be added, removed, or rearranged based on the specific tools required, allowing the tray to adapt to various procedural needs while maintaining a relatively simple base structure.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one example, a medical tray for a surgical procedure is disclosed. The medical tray can optionally comprise: a housing; and one or more tray inserts configured to be received within the housing and having a first major surface and one or more support. The one or more tray inserts are configured to receive a plurality of dental surgical instruments via a plurality of receptacles formed therein. The plurality of receptacles having corresponding openings in the first major surface. The one or more tray inserts configured to be at least one of: removable from the housing and configured with the one or more supports so as to be positionable exterior to and independent of the housing, or the plurality of receptacles are angled such that the dental surgical instruments when received therein are positioned at an acute angle relative to the first major surface.