Medical Stylus with Color-Coded Force Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Controlling and monitoring the force exerted on a patient during medical treatment is challenging, as practitioners often struggle to maintain forces within prescribed limits without shifting their gaze from the treatment location to a remote output.
Innovation Solution
A stylus with a light pipe and load cell that provides visual feedback through color changes (blue for low force, green for within limits, and red for high force) and mechanical features that prevent excessive force, along with alternative embodiments using audible and tactile signals, allowing practitioners to focus on the treatment area while ensuring appropriate force application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a remote output display is used to show force levels, then force monitoring capability is improved, but practitioner attention is diverted from the treatment location
Solution Approach 1:
The force feedback is presented through color changes (blue, green, red) at the treatment location rather than requiring the practitioner to look at a remote numerical display. This transforms the feedback from a spatially separated visual task to a locally integrated visual cue, maintaining force monitoring precision while preserving practitioner attention on the treatment area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses color-coded visual indicators (blue for low force, green for appropriate force, red for excessive force) to communicate force levels directly at the treatment location. This allows practitioners to quickly assess force application status without diverting attention, resolving the contradiction between monitoring precision and attention maintenance.
2Device complexity
If no visual feedback is provided at the treatment location, then device complexity is reduced, but force control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a relatively simple color-change indicator system (using LEDs or similar components) that provides immediate visual feedback on force application. This maintains force control precision through intuitive color cues while avoiding the complexity of sophisticated display systems or multiple sensors, thus resolving the contradiction between device simplicity and control precision.
3Reliability
If mechanical collapse features are added to prevent excessive force, then patient safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates mechanical collapse features that activate before excessive force can harm the patient. These features are designed to fail safely at predetermined force thresholds, providing inherent protection without requiring complex electronic control systems or multiple safety layers, thus improving patient safety while minimizing added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapse mechanism is a passive mechanical feature that automatically activates when force thresholds are exceeded, without requiring external control systems, power sources, or complex sensing. This self-activating safety feature improves patient reliability while adding minimal structural complexity compared to active control systems.
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
Enables practitioners to maintain forces within safe ranges without gaze diversion, ensuring accurate and controlled force application during medical procedures while providing electronic feedback to prevent exceeding acceptable limits.
Implementation Method 1
The rod 17 is resistant and light transmitting. In one embodiment it is preferably an acrylic rod that functions as a light pipe.
Implementation Method 2
A stylus with a light pipe and load cell that provides visual feedback through color changes
Data Source
AI summary
A stylus and a treatment head for use with a medical device for imparting a force is provided. The stylus allows a practitioner to maintain focus on the treatment location while adjusting placement and force. This is because a light signal is emitted in the vicinity of the distal end of the stylus, proximate the treatment location on the patient. Alternatively, an audible or a tactile signal is employed for feedback. As a safety feature, the stylus is provided with means to allow it to collapse at forces above the acceptable limit.