Multi-Link Medical Boom With External Conduit Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical device positioning systems are cumbersome and lack ease of adjustment, making it difficult to efficiently position surgical devices, lights, and other equipment in operating rooms.
Innovation Solution
A multi-link boom assembly with horizontally aligned members connected by joints, allowing for rotation and featuring a conduit system outside the load-bearing periphery, along with a brake system to maintain position, facilitating easy adjustment and compact storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conduits are routed through the load bearing periphery of the boom members, then conduit protection is improved, but the load bearing capacity and structural integrity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit routing is moved from the traditional path through the load-bearing periphery to an alternative path along the outer surface of the boom members. This spatial reconfiguration allows the conduit to be protected by the boom structure without compromising the structural integrity of the load-bearing sections, effectively solving the contradiction by utilizing a different dimensional pathway.
2Ease of manufacture
If the suspension arm assembly uses traditional vertical conduit routing between adjacent pairs of horizontally aligned members, then installation is simplified, but it creates interference with the horizontal movement and positioning of the boom
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit routing is changed from a vertical arrangement between horizontal members to a horizontal arrangement along the outer surface of the boom members. This dimensional change eliminates the interference with horizontal boom movement while maintaining conduit protection and accessibility, thereby resolving the contradiction between installation simplicity and operational flexibility.
3Length of moving object
If the horizontally aligned members have larger arm horizontal length, then the medical device can reach further positions, but the overall space requirement and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The boom is divided into multiple horizontally aligned members connected by joints, allowing segmented movement and positioning. This segmentation enables the medical device to reach further positions through coordinated movement of individual segments rather than requiring a single long arm, thereby reducing the overall space requirement while maintaining extended reach capability.
4Device complexity
If the brake system is located inside the periphery of the boom members, then the structure is more compact, but maintenance and adjustment of the brake system become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The brake system is positioned on the outer surface of the boom members, using the boom structure itself as an intermediary mounting platform. This external positioning maintains structural compactness while providing easy accessibility for maintenance and adjustment, as the brake system can be serviced without disassembling the boom structure.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A suspension arm assembly including at least three horizontally aligned members relatively rotatable about each other. Each adjacent pair of members are connected to each other by a joint. At least one conduit extends along the at least three horizontally aligned members, with the at least one conduit being routed horizontally along the horizontally aligned members and not being located within a periphery of the at least three horizontally aligned members.