Mechanical Collar Positioning Transparent Shield Articulating Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mechanical collars fail to effectively mitigate the risk of infectious disease transmission between patients and healthcare providers in settings like dentist's offices, as they lack efficient mechanisms for positioning protective apparatuses, such as transparent shields, over the head and neck region.
Innovation Solution
Mechanical collars comprising a first and second connecting component with circular passages and a C-clamp, made from materials like steel or polycarbonate, that can be used with articulating mechanical arms to position protective apparatuses with substantially transparent shields over patients, thereby reducing disease transmission risk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional mechanical collars are used without articulating mechanical arms, then the structure remains simple, but the ability to position protective apparatuses over the head and neck region is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the mechanical collar with an articulating mechanical arm into an integrated system. The collar serves as the mounting interface while the mechanical arm provides positioning capability, merging the functions of support and positioning into a single operational unit that achieves both simplicity and effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical collar is designed with universal mounting capabilities that can accommodate various protective apparatuses. The collar structure with its connecting components and passages can interface with different types of protective equipment, making the system multi-functional and adaptable to various healthcare settings.
2Reliability
If mechanical collars lack secure attachment mechanisms, then the structure remains simple, but the protective apparatus cannot be securely positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The collar is divided into distinct functional segments: the first connecting component for mounting, the second connecting component with passages for attachment, and the C-clamp mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system reliability for secure attachment.
3Area of stationary object
If the collar passages are too small, then the collar size is reduced, but the protective apparatus cannot be properly attached
Solution Approach 1:
The collar design features nested circular passages where the second passage is located within the first passage. This nested structure allows the collar to maintain a compact overall size while providing multiple attachment points and accommodating different apparatus dimensions, thus achieving both size reduction and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are mechanical collars comprising a first connecting component and a second connecting component adjoined to one another. The second connecting component may comprise two substantially circular passages, wherein the inner diameter of the first substantially circular passage is larger than the outer diameter of the second substantially circular passage. Also disclosed herein are systems for mitigating the risk of transmission of infectious disease, such as in a healthcare provider's office, comprising mechanical collars as described herein, protective apparatuses, and a mechanical arm such as, without limitation, an articulating mechanical arm. Also disclosed herein are associated methods of mitigating risk of transmission of infectious disease utilizing the mechanical collars and related systems described herein.