RFID Medical Tool Shaft With Trough-Shaped Recesses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical tools face challenges in accommodating digitally readable data storage without compromising their compact and delicate design, as attaching such storage weakens the structure and can create notch stresses, making them more cumbersome to handle.
Innovation Solution
A medical tool with a shaft geometry featuring trough-shaped recesses for both torque transmission and axial securing, combined with a sleeve containing an identification element, allows for compact design while ensuring high torque transmission and avoiding notch stresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a digitally readable data storage device is installed in/on a tool, then tool identification capability is improved, but the tool structure is weakened and notch stresses are caused
Solution Approach 1:
The identification element is nested within a sleeve that is integrated into the tool shaft structure. The sleeve contains the identification element in a protected manner, allowing the tool to maintain its compact design while incorporating the data storage device without compromising structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve acts as an intermediary structure between the tool shaft and the identification element. It provides a protective housing for the identification element while being integrally connected to the tool shaft, thereby preventing direct structural weakening of the tool while enabling identification capability.
2Strength
If the tool is made more robust to counteract structural weakening, then structural strength is improved, but the tool dimensions increase and handling becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The identification element and sleeve are nested within the existing tool shaft structure rather than adding external components. This allows the tool to maintain its original compact dimensions while incorporating the identification capability and maintaining structural strength through the integrated design.
3Ease of manufacture
If separate shaft regions are used for torque transmission and axial securing, then functional clarity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The trough-shaped geometry on the tool shaft combines multiple functions into a single integrated structure. The same geometric features that provide torque transmission also enable axial securing, eliminating the need for separate shaft regions and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining functional clarity.
Solution Approach 2:
The trough-shaped shaft geometry serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it provides torque transmission surfaces, enables axial locking through engagement features, and maintains structural integrity. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated regions for each function.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
Figure 7~11
AI summary
The medical tool has a tool shaft having, in a shaft region, a shaft geometry for introducing torque and for axially securing. The shaft geometry (13) for introducing torque and for axially securing consists solely in at least one trough-shaped indentation (32) in the outer lateral surface of the tool shaft (11).