Radiological Cassette Shock-Absorber Structure for Drop Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable radiological cassettes with digital detectors are fragile and prone to breakage from impacts, vibrations, and mechanical stresses, lacking effective protection against drops and external aggression, which can lead to image defects and irreversible degradation.
Innovation Solution
The integration of three-dimensional shock-absorbing parts made from elastomers or similar materials, which enclose lateral faces of the base and extend to the housing, providing comprehensive protection against impacts and vibrations in all three dimensions, reducing internal mechanical play and filtering accelerations to prevent image disturbances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional housing protection is used, then the cassette structure is simple, but the digital detector is vulnerable to impacts and vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by integrating shock-absorbing elements directly into the housing structure before impacts occur. These elements include elastomeric materials positioned between the digital detector and the housing, as well as in the base, to preemptively absorb mechanical shocks and vibrations during handling and transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining rigid housing materials with elastomeric shock-absorbing materials. The housing structure integrates both rigid components for structural integrity and elastomeric components for impact absorption, creating a composite protection system that addresses both structural support and shock mitigation.
2Ease of operation
If the cassette is made portable and mobile, then it can be positioned near patients, but it becomes more susceptible to drops and mechanical stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The shock-absorbing elements are pre-integrated into the portable cassette design, providing beforehand cushioning against the mechanical stresses inherent in mobile handling. The elastomeric materials are positioned to absorb drops and impacts that may occur during transport to various patient locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible elastomeric elements and thin films as shock-absorbing components within the portable cassette. These flexible materials deform under impact forces, absorbing mechanical stresses while protecting the fragile digital detector during mobile operations.
3Reliability
If shock protection is added to protect the digital detector, then breakage is prevented, but the cassette size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning shock-absorbing elements only in specific critical areas where impacts are most likely to occur, rather than uniformly throughout the entire cassette. The elastomeric materials are strategically placed between the digital detector and housing, and in the base, to provide targeted protection while minimizing overall weight addition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs thin elastomeric films and flexible elements that provide effective shock absorption with minimal mass. These thin flexible components absorb impact forces through deformation while adding negligible weight to the portable cassette.
4Strength
If rigid housing is used for protection, then structural strength is maintained, but internal components are vulnerable to vibration and impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite housing structure that combines rigid materials for overall structural strength with elastomeric materials for internal shock absorption. The rigid housing maintains structural integrity while the integrated elastomeric elements absorb vibrations and impacts, protecting internal components like the digital detector and circuit boards.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric shock-absorbing elements act as intermediary components between the rigid housing and the fragile internal components. These intermediary materials absorb and dissipate mechanical energy from impacts and vibrations, preventing direct transmission of forces to sensitive internal components.
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
Enhances the mechanical robustness of the cassette, preventing breakage and image defects by absorbing forces and vibrations, ensuring accurate positioning and maintaining image quality even under harsh handling conditions without significant cost addition.
Implementation Method 1
three-dimensional part (30) comprising: a bottom part (31) linked to the base (12)... and a top part (32) extending from the first main face (13) of the base (12) to the top face (23) of the housing (20)
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional part intended to cooperate with: a single-piece base comprising a first main face, a second main face, the base being delimited by four lateral faces, the base being able to support a digital detector on the first main face and an electronic circuit board, a mechanical protection housing, the base, the digital detector and the electronic circuit board being intended to be arranged in the mechanical protection housing, the housing comprising four lateral faces, a top face and a bottom face; the three-dimensional part being comprising a bottom part linked to the base and at least partially enclosing a lateral face of the base; a top part extending from the first main face of the base to the top face of the housing.