Operating Table Air Bladder Pneumatic Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing operating tables with kidney bridges limit patient positioning flexibility and cause skin damage due to pressure points during kidney surgery, as they require additional mechanical parts that restrict the column head's range of movement and necessitate cumbersome patient repositioning under anesthesia.
Innovation Solution
An operating table system featuring an air bladder and compressor, with a deformable and rigid split pad configuration that allows flexible patient positioning without additional mechanical parts, and a control panel to adjust air pressure for optimal body alignment during surgery, including a foam pad to prevent skin damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a kidney bridge with additional mechanical parts and actuators is installed, then patient positioning for kidney surgery is enabled, but the range of movement of the column head is limited and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical actuators and kidney bridges with a pneumatic system consisting of an air bladder and air compressor. The air bladder can be inflated and deflated to change the contour of the tabletop, enabling patient positioning without mechanical joints or actuators. This resolves the contradiction by achieving positioning capability through pneumatic means while avoiding the complexity of mechanical parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the air bladder from deflated to inflated to alter the tabletop contour. By controlling air pressure and volume parameters, the system achieves different patient positioning configurations. This parameter-based control eliminates the need for mechanical position adjustment mechanisms, reducing device complexity while maintaining positioning adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a kidney bridge is used, then patient positioning is achieved, but pressure points and skin damages occur
Solution Approach 1:
The air bladder is constructed as a flexible, compressible element that can conform to the patient's body contours. This flexibility distributes pressure evenly across the contact area, eliminating pressure points and skin damages that occur with rigid mechanical kidney bridges. The thin-film structure of the air bladder allows it to adapt to the patient's anatomy while maintaining positioning support.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the patient position is adjusted during surgery, then better surgical access is achieved, but the entire patient body must be moved which is difficult under anesthesia
Solution Approach 1:
The tabletop is divided into multiple independently controllable zones with air bladders. Each zone can be adjusted separately to change the local contour and patient position without moving the entire patient body. This segmentation allows surgeons to access different areas by locally adjusting the air bladder configuration, eliminating the need to move the entire anesthetized patient.
Solution Approach 2:
The air bladder system provides dynamic positioning capability during surgery. The air pressure can be adjusted in real-time to change the tabletop contour and patient position without mechanical repositioning. This dynamic adjustment is achieved through pneumatic control, allowing the position to be modified while the patient remains anesthetized and fixed to the tabletop.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the column head range of movement is limited by additional mechanical parts, then structural stability is maintained, but positioning flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pneumatic system instead of mechanical linkages to achieve positioning. The air bladder and compressor provide the necessary forces to adjust the tabletop contour without restricting the column head movement. This pneumatic approach maintains structural stability through the rigid tabletop framework while enabling positioning flexibility through air pressure control, eliminating the trade-off present in mechanical 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 flexible and safe patient positioning for kidney surgery by allowing easy adjustment of the patient's body alignment without restricting the column head's movement and minimizing skin pressure, ensuring a stable and accessible position for surgical interventions.
Implementation Method 1
an air compressor (4), and an air bladder (3) configured to be inflated by the air compressor
Implementation Method 2
an air bladder (3) configured to be inflated by the air compressor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A system (1) comprising an operating table (2) and an air bladder (3) is provided. The operating table (2) comprises a tabletop (5) including an upper deformable portion (8) and a lower rigid portion (7). The tabletop (5) is configured to host the air bladder (3) between the upper deformable portion (8) and the lower rigid portion (7), and the air bladder (3) is configured to be inflated by the air compressor (4).