PIM Holder Clamping Device for Surgical Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional PIM holders for surgical tables are either too rigid, requiring many turns to secure, prone to swinging and noise, or need special tools for reorientation, failing to provide a stable and easily adjustable solution for medical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A PIM holder with a clamping device featuring a stationary and moving jaw, actuator, and biasing system, allowing for secure attachment and easy adjustment to surgical table rails using a single hand, without requiring special tools, and enabling quick reorientation and relocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid fixed clamps with knob screws are used to attach PIM to rails, then the attachment is secure and stable, but many turns are required to tighten the clamps and they cannot be easily adjusted or reoriented
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp transitions from a static fixed position to a dynamic adjustable position through the lever actuator mechanism. The lever allows the clamp to be quickly opened and repositioned along the rail, then securely closed at any desired location, combining stability with ease of adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp design allows the user to easily open and close it by hand without requiring special tools. The lever mechanism provides mechanical advantage so that a simple hand motion suffices to secure or release the clamp, making the system self-servicing.
2Ease of operation
If hooks are used to hang PIM from rails, then the PIM can be easily attached and detached, but the PIM swings as the bed moves creating noise and distraction
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp provides dynamic stabilization by allowing initial positioning flexibility during attachment, then securing the PIM in a fixed position once clamped. This prevents the swinging motion that occurs with hooks while maintaining ease of attachment and detachment.
3Reliability
If fixed clamps requiring special tools are used, then the clamps can be securely attached, but they require special tools to disconnect and reorient
Solution Approach 1:
The lever actuator mechanism is designed to be operated by hand without requiring any special tools. The lever provides sufficient mechanical advantage to securely open and close the clamp, making the system self-servicing and eliminating the need for additional tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever actuator serves as an intermediary mechanism that translates a simple hand motion into the force required to open and close the clamp jaws. This intermediary provides mechanical advantage, allowing secure attachment without special tools.
4Reliability
If conventional knob screw clamps are used, then the PIM can be securely fixed to the rail, but many turns are required to tighten and the process is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The lever mechanism converts a single periodic hand motion into the clamping action, replacing the many repetitive turns of a knob screw with one quick lever movement. This significantly reduces the time required to secure the clamp while maintaining attachment security.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever actuator serves as a mechanical intermediary that amplifies the user's hand motion into sufficient clamping force. This intermediary mechanism provides mechanical advantage, allowing secure attachment with minimal user effort and time.
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
The PIM holder provides a stable and easily adjustable solution for surgical accessories, facilitating smoother medical procedures by allowing convenient relocation and reorientation without disrupting the process, enhancing surgical efficiency and patient care.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing system slidably associated with the stationary jaw and connected to the moving jaw in a manner that biases the moving jaw toward the stationary jaw
Implementation Method 2
a pivot pin extends through the pivot holes in the stationary jaw and the pivot holes of the actuator and acts as an axle to define a pivot axis allowing the actuator to pivot about the pivot pin relative to the stationary jaw
Data Source
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AI summary
A PIM holder for attaching a PIM device having a cable to a rail in a medical environment includes a holster and a clamping device. The holster includes an open end sized to receive a PIM device and includes a cable opening extending from the open end on a side adjacent the open end to a side opposite the open end. The clamping device is sized and configured to attach the holster to a rail. The clamping device includes a stationary jaw secured to the holster and a moving jaw disposed adjacent the stationary jaw. The stationary jaw and moving jaw form an opening that receives the rail in a lateral direction and forms a passage therebetween to capture the rail. An actuator is pivotable between an open position and a closed position to displace the moving jaw to open and close the clamping device.