Retractor Blade Extender Tower for Depth Setting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current retractors require multiple blade sizes for different patients, leading to increased operation time and risk of tissue trauma due to the need for trial-and-error length adjustments post-insertion, which can cause accidental damage during blade extension.
Innovation Solution
A retractor blade extender tower that allows for quick and efficient setting of blade depth before insertion, featuring a base, column, and mating features to engage retractor blades, with optional adjustable stops for precise depth adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple different size blades are provided to accommodate different patients, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity and loss of time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor blade is designed with telescoping sections that allow dynamic adjustment of blade length. The blade can be extended or retracted to different lengths depending on patient anatomy, eliminating the need for multiple fixed-size blades. This dynamic mechanism provides adaptability while maintaining a single blade unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade is divided into multiple telescoping segments that can slide relative to each other. This segmentation allows the blade to achieve variable lengths through the interaction of discrete segments, enabling adaptability without requiring multiple complete blade assemblies.
2Adaptability or versatility
If blade length is adjusted in situ after retractor insertion, then adaptability is improved, but object-affected harmful factors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blade length is determined and set before retractor insertion into the patient. The surgeon can adjust the telescoping blade to the appropriate length while the retractor is outside the body, eliminating the need to extend blades in situ. This preliminary action prevents accidental tissue damage that would occur during blind blade extension after insertion.
3Manufacturing precision
If blade depth is set before insertion using an extender tower, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A blade extender tower serves as an intermediary device used during blade assembly. The tower provides mechanical guidance and positioning features that ensure the telescoping blade segments are assembled to the correct depth with high precision. After assembly, the tower is removed, leaving the blade permanently set at the desired depth without adding permanent complexity to the retractor.
Data Source
AI summary
A blade extending tower is provided for setting blade depth on retractors having telescoping or extending blades. The blade extending tower features a base, a column extending from the base, and mating features on the column configured to engage the blades of a retractor to extend the blades to a desired blade depth. Blade depth of the retractor is set buy sliding the retractor onto the blade extending tower such that the mating features of the blade extending tower engage the blades or the retractor, stopping the blades progression while the rest of the retractor continues along the length of the column. Thus the blades of the retractor are extended from the retractor to a depth determined by the configuration of the blade extending tower.