Protractor for External Fixation Frame Angle Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for improved devices and methods to accurately measure and adjust the angle between components of external fixation frames, particularly for patient self-adjustment without physician assistance, to ensure adherence to correction plans in external fixation treatments.
Innovation Solution
A protractor-type device with a rotatable dial and elongate member, featuring a connector with flanges and a clamp, allows for precise measurement and adjustment of angles between struts and rings in external fixation frames, enabling users to determine and set specific angular orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If patients self-adjust external fixation frames without physician assistance, then treatment accessibility and convenience are improved, but measurement accuracy and adjustment precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables patients to self-adjust their external fixation frames by providing all necessary measurement and adjustment capabilities in a single portable unit. The protractor-type device with rotatable dial and elongate member allows patients to independently measure angles and make corrections without requiring physician presence or specialized equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The device combines multiple functions into a single unit: angle measurement via the protractor face and rotatable dial, angle adjustment via the elongate member and connector, and verification of correction plan compliance. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate measurement and adjustment tools, improving both accessibility and precision.
2Measurement precision
If frequent physician visits are required for external fixation adjustments, then measurement accuracy and adjustment precision are maintained, but patient convenience and treatment accessibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed to be portable and pre-configured with all necessary measurement and adjustment components, allowing patients to perform corrections at home before scheduled physician visits. The protractor-type device with its rotatable dial and elongate member enables preliminary angle measurement and adjustment, reducing the frequency of required medical visits.
3Measurement precision
If complex adjustment procedures are used to ensure correction plan compliance, then measurement accuracy is improved, but ease of operation and patient understanding deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the adjustment process into distinct, manageable segments: positioning the protractor face on the external fixation frame, rotating the dial to measure angles, using the elongate member to adjust strut positions, and verifying compliance with the correction plan. This segmentation makes the complex adjustment procedure more understandable and manageable for patients.
Data Source
AI summary
A protractor for use with an external fixation frame is provided. The protractor may include a face having angle designations thereon and a set of opposed and extending flanges projecting from said face. The flanges may connect to a portion of an external fixation frame, such as a ring (or other component) of the frame. The face may also include a post member to which a rotatable dial is mounted. An elongate member may be pivotally connected to a portion of the post member and may include a clamp. The clamp may be used to connect to an alternate portion of an external fixation frame, such as a strut of the frame. Thus, the protractor may be connected to two points on an external fixation frame so as to measure the angle between such points. Related methods of using the aforementioned protractor are also disclosed.