Medical Drape with Expandable Element for Sterile Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for deploying sterile drapes over large medical equipment in sterile fields are time-consuming and delay medical procedures, as they require sterile personnel to fully unfold and manage the drape within the sterile environment.
Innovation Solution
A drape system that can be partially or fully deployed in a non-sterile field using a removable sheath and expandable elements, allowing non-sterile personnel to prepare and store the drape outside the sterile area, reducing the time required for full deployment and maintaining sterile surfaces covered until needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional sterile drape is deployed in the sterile field by sterile personnel, then the equipment is properly covered with a sterile barrier, but the medical procedure is delayed and procedure time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drape is pre-assembled with the expandable element and packaged in a sterile container before the surgical procedure. This preliminary preparation allows the drape to be ready for immediate deployment, eliminating the time-consuming process of assembling and sterilizing the drape in the sterile field.
Solution Approach 2:
A sterile container acts as an intermediary, maintaining the sterility of the drape and expandable element during storage and transport. The container can be opened and the contents deployed directly in the sterile field without requiring additional sterilization steps, thus reducing procedure time while maintaining reliable sterile coverage.
2Reliability
If a large bag-like drape is fully unfolded and deployed over equipment in the sterile field, then complete coverage is achieved, but the deployment becomes unwieldy and awkward requiring multiple people
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable element transforms the drape from a flat, unwieldy package into a three-dimensional covering that conforms to the equipment shape. This dynamic transformation occurs automatically when the expandable element is activated, making deployment easier and more manageable while ensuring complete coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The drape system is segmented into a packaged state and a deployed state. In the packaged state, the drape and expandable element are compact and easy to handle. Upon deployment, the expandable element activates to provide complete coverage. This segmentation allows sterile personnel to manage a compact package rather than a large unfolded drape.
3Reliability
If sterile personnel are occupied with drape deployment, then proper sterile coverage is ensured, but other surgical tasks are delayed and overall efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The drape system is prepared in advance in a sterile package, allowing sterile personnel to simply open and deploy a pre-assembled unit rather than assembling and sterilizing components in the sterile field. This preliminary preparation ensures reliable sterile coverage while minimizing the time sterile personnel are occupied.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable element provides self-service functionality by automatically expanding to provide complete coverage when activated. This reduces the manual effort and time required by sterile personnel to manually position and adjust the drape, thereby improving surgical efficiency while maintaining reliable sterile coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A sterile drape is provided to cover medical equipment. The drape may include an expandable element to open the open end of the drape. A sheath may also be provided to cover the sheath prior to use. The drape may also be held in a container, which may be coupled to the equipment. Furthermore, the drape may include one or more partially deployed positions in which the drape is partially deployed yet the sterile surface of the drape remains unexposed so that the drape may be partially deployed by non-sterile personnel and stored in a non-sterile area.