Polypropylene Honeycomb Sandwich Table for MRI Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical treatment tables, particularly those made of carbon fibre, are not suitable for MRI equipment due to structural weakening, electrical conductivity issues, and limited adaptability to various medical machines, and conventional MRI tables are not recyclable or versatile for different diagnostic procedures.
Innovation Solution
A medical diagnostic/treatment table composed of thermo-composite sandwich layers with a polypropylene core and glass fibre reinforced polypropylene face sheets, allowing for easy customization and MRI compatibility, featuring apertures and anchor points for versatile use with multiple medical machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If carbon fibre body is used for medical treatment table, then structural strength is improved, but electrical conductivity causes harmful effects in MRI equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system consisting of a polypropylene honeycomb core sandwiched between two glass fibre reinforced polypropylene face sheets. This composite structure provides the necessary mechanical strength while the polypropylene material remains electrically non-conductive, eliminating MRI interference issues inherent in carbon fibre tables.
2Ease of operation
If apertures are formed in carbon fibre body, then cable access and patient comfort are improved, but structural weakening occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The honeycomb sandwich structure allows for local modifications such as apertures and anchor points to be added without compromising overall structural integrity. The distributed cellular core provides redundancy, and the face sheets maintain strength even with localized openings, enabling cable access and patient comfort features without the severe weakening problems of solid carbon fibre tables.
3Adaptability or versatility
If carbon fibre table is customized for specific equipment, then equipment compatibility is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The table design separates the standardized honeycomb sandwich body from the customizable accessories and attachments. The modular nature allows different configurations for various medical equipment while using the same base structure, reducing manufacturing complexity compared to custom-built carbon fibre tables for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized honeycomb sandwich table design serves as a universal platform that can accommodate multiple types of medical equipment through attachments and positioning features. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for specialized carbon fibre tables for each medical application, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining versatility.
4Ease of operation
If table is made curved for comfort and strength, then patient comfort and structural integrity are improved, but adaptability to different medical machines is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The honeycomb sandwich structure provides inherent structural strength that allows the table to be manufactured in multiple configurations (curved, flat, or differently contoured) without compromising integrity. This structural flexibility enables adaptation to different medical machine requirements while maintaining patient comfort through appropriate contouring for each application.
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 solution provides a lightweight, robust, and recyclable table that can be used with both MRI and X-ray machines, enabling precise diagnostic and treatment procedures, and offers cost savings through bulk purchasing and reduced material waste.
Implementation Method 1
a central cellular core thermally fused with and between two polypropylene face sheets
Implementation Method 2
at least one polypropylene strip thermally fused along the edge portion of the sandwich layers to form a sealed enclosure
Data Source
AI summary
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine with an integrated medical table top on which a patient can lie is provided. The table top has a central polypropylene cellular honeycomb structure thermally fused in a sandwich configuration between two fiber-reinforced polypropylene face sheets. A strip of fiber-reinforced polypropylene is thermally fused along the entire length of the edge of the sandwich layers and along the end sections of the strip so that the resultant package of layers and end strip is sealingly enclosed to form the tabletop. Table top has a cover which may have a paint or acrylic finish, or may be foamed or “soft-touch” or suitably coated, in order to enhance the patient's comfort and to ensure that tabletop is hard-wearing and readily cleanable.