Operating room floor mat with protective sheet to cover surgical equipment foot pedals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional operating room floor mats fail to protect surgical equipment foot pedals from fluids such as blood and irrigation fluid, leading to exposure, damage, and increased medical waste, as plastic bags used for protection are prone to slippage and rupture.
Innovation Solution
A modified operating room floor mat with a secured protective sheet forming a pocket for the foot pedals, made of durable, high-friction plastic material that allows easy fluid removal and is reusable, preventing fluid exposure without interfering with pedal operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If plastic bags are used to cover foot pedals, then protection from fluids is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to slippage and rupture
Solution Approach 1:
The protective covering is segmented into a floor mat base layer and a separate pedal pocket layer, allowing the pocket to be specifically designed for pedal containment while the base provides fluid absorption. This segmentation enables the pocket to remain stable and secure without compromising overall protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The foot pedal is nested within the pocket formed by the protective sheet, which is itself attached to the floor mat. This nested structure ensures the pedal remains contained and protected while allowing easy access and removal when needed.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If plastic bags are used to cover foot pedals, then protection from fluids is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective sheet is merged with the floor mat through attachment at the perimeter, creating an integrated protective system. The pocket is formed by folding and attaching portions of the same sheet, eliminating the need for separate covering materials and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective sheet serves multiple functions: it forms a protective pocket for the pedal, provides a barrier against fluids, and can be easily removed and reused. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple separate protective items.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If plastic bags are used to cover foot pedals, then protection from fluids is improved, but loss of time increases due to preparation and cleanup
Solution Approach 1:
The protective sheet is pre-attached to the floor mat before the surgical procedure begins, with the pocket already formed and ready to receive the pedal. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming setup during the procedure and facilitates quick cleanup afterward.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective sheet is designed to be removable and reusable. After the procedure, it can be quickly removed from the pedal, cleaned, and reused for the next procedure, reducing both preparation time and medical waste compared to single-use plastic bags.
4Ease of operation
If foot pedals are placed on the floor mat, then ease of operation is improved, but object-generated harmful factors worsen due to fluid accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The floor mat has different functional zones: the main body provides fluid absorption for the general area, while the attached protective sheet creates a dry, protected pocket zone specifically for the pedal. This local differentiation allows the pedal area to remain fluid-free while maintaining overall fluid management capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The pedal is extracted from the general floor area and placed within the dedicated protective pocket. This separation removes the pedal from direct exposure to accumulated fluids on the main mat surface while maintaining easy accessibility for the operator.
Data Source
AI summary
An operating room floor mat includes a main body and a protective sheet that is secured around to the main body around a perimeter of the sheet. A section of the perimeter is left unsecured to form an opening of a pocket into which at least one foot pedal is inserted, and through which a cable connection between the foot pedal and surgical equipment extends. Placement of the foot pedal into the pocket protects the foot pedal from blood or irrigation fluid dripping from an operating table without interfering with operation of the foot pedal.