Interchangeable Tag Base and Identification Head Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current methods for attaching identification tags to surgical items are time-consuming, expensive, and require skilled technicians, posing challenges in tracking and compliance with regulatory requirements, especially in environments where multiple tools need to be efficiently managed.
Innovation Solution
An interchangeable tag system with a small base and larger identification head, where the base is attached using a technological process requiring a skilled user and the identification head is attached simply without tools, allowing for alignment and secure locking, and optionally pre-attachment by manufacturers to simplify the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If laser welding is used to attach the tag to the surgical item, then the tag attachment reliability is improved, but the attachment time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tag is divided into two separate components: a base that is laser-welded to the surgical item and an identification head that is separately attached to the base. This segmentation allows the time-consuming laser welding process to be performed only on the small base rather than the entire tag, significantly reducing attachment time while maintaining reliability through the secure weld between base and item.
Solution Approach 2:
The identification head is extracted from the base attachment process. The base is attached to the surgical item using laser welding, while the identification head is separately attached to the base using a simpler process. This extraction allows the complex welding process to be minimized to only where absolutely necessary.
2Reliability
If laser welding is used to attach the tag to the surgical item, then the tag attachment reliability is improved, but the skill requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tag assembly is segmented into a base and an identification head, allowing the complex laser welding operation to be confined to the small base only. The identification head can then be attached by non-skilled workers using simpler methods, reducing the overall skill requirement while maintaining attachment reliability through the secure welded base.
Solution Approach 2:
The identification head is extracted from the welding process entirely. Only the base undergoes laser welding, which can be performed by skilled workers in a controlled manufacturing setting. The identification head attachment is extracted to a separate, simpler process that does not require specialized welding skills.
3Strength
If the entire tag is heated for attachment, then the attachment strength is improved, but the tag damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tag is segmented into a base and an identification head, allowing heating to be applied only to the base during attachment to the surgical item. The identification head is attached separately after the base cooling, avoiding exposure to damaging temperatures while maintaining strong attachment through the welded base.
Solution Approach 2:
The identification head is extracted from the heating process. The base is heated to the required temperature for secure attachment to the surgical item, while the identification head is attached afterward in a separate step that does not involve high temperatures, eliminating the risk of heat damage to the identification components.
4Reliability
If a large tag is used to ensure identification visibility, then the identification reliability is improved, but the interference with surgical item use increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tag system is segmented into a small base attached to the surgical item and a separate identification head. The base remains small to minimize interference with surgical operations, while the identification head can be larger and more visible. This segmentation allows the identification function to be separated from the attachment footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The identification head is positioned in a different spatial dimension relative to the base and surgical item. By attaching the identification head to the base in a manner that extends it away from the surgical item surface, the identification components can be larger and more visible without increasing the footprint on the surgical item itself, thus maintaining ease of use.
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
This solution reduces the time and cost of attaching identification tags, enabling non-skilled workers to perform the task and ensuring compliance with regulations by streamlining the attachment process while maintaining the integrity of the tags and surgical items.
Implementation Method 1
the attachment tool required for the technological process heats the base to attach it to the surgical item
Data Source
AI summary
An interchangeable tag for attaching to an item for automatically identifying the item, including: a base with a small footprint for attaching to the item at a first end of the base; an identification head with a larger footprint that is attached to the item by the base at a second end of the base; wherein the identification head wirelessly accepts communication queries and transmits identification information related to the item; and wherein the base is attached to the tool by a technological process that requires use of an attachment tool by a skilled user and the identification head is attached to the base after attaching it to the item by a simple process that is performed without requiring an attachment tool.