Pivoting Traction Support Assembly to Reduce Patient Contact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing medical devices for bone, muscle, or tendon support cause pain, discomfort, and irritation due to direct contact and require customized beds for traction, complicating patient care and transfer.

Innovation Solution

A medical device with pivoting capabilities, utilizing adapters and a tensioning assembly to pivot away from patient contact, allowing horizontal force application and eliminating the need for customized beds, using lightweight materials and easy installation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If existing medical devices are used for bone, muscle, or tendon support, then support function is provided, but patient discomfort and irritation increase due to direct contact

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient discomfortVSAvoidsupport function

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a pivotable body with adapters as an intermediary between the tensioning assembly and the patient's body. This mediator allows the device to maintain support function through the tensioning assembly while minimizing direct contact with the patient, thereby reducing discomfort and irritation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The body of the device is designed to be pivotable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position. This dynamic capability enables the device to minimize contact with the patient's body while maintaining the necessary support function, resolving the contradiction between comfort and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If existing medical devices are used for traction, then support is provided, but customized beds are required, complicating patient care and transfer

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebed compatibilityVSAvoidcustomized bed requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device is designed with a universal interface through its adapters and pivotable body that can accommodate different bed types and patient positions. This universality eliminates the need for customized beds, allowing the same device to be used across various standard medical beds while simplifying patient care and transfer procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If adapters and tensioning assembly are coupled to enable pivoting, then patient discomfort is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient discomfortVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device is segmented into distinct functional components: adapters that attach to the patient, a pivotable body, and a tensioning assembly. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, reducing overall complexity while maintaining the ability to reduce patient discomfort through the pivoting mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12582444B2Medical device

Publication Date: 2026.03.24 ARBUTUS MEDICAL INC

AI summary

The present disclosure is directed to a medical device. The medical device can include a body having a first extension and having a second extension. The first extension can have a first adapter and the second extension can have a second adapter. The first adapter and the second adapter can couple with at least one tensioning assembly to cause the body to pivot from a first position to a second position.