Rotatable Medical Device Handle for Ergonomic Shaft Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Physicians face ergonomic challenges during medical procedures due to the need to contort their bodies to navigate medical devices to desired anatomical positions, leading to less than ideal operating positions and potential procedure complications.
Innovation Solution
A medical device with a rotatable handle design, allowing the distal portion of the handle to rotate relative to the proximal portion, enabling the shaft to rotate simultaneously, with features like frictional locking and a locking mechanism to maintain the handle's position, facilitating ergonomic handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the handle is made fixed and non-rotatable, then the device structure is simple, but the physician must contort their body into exaggerated positions to navigate the device
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is divided into a proximal portion and a distal portion that can rotate relative to each other. The proximal portion remains stationary while the distal portion can be rotated independently, allowing the shaft to be repositioned without moving the entire handle. This segmentation enables ergonomic operation while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle transitions from a static, fixed structure to a dynamic structure where the distal portion can rotate relative to the proximal portion. This dynamic capability allows the physician to adjust the shaft position by rotating the distal handle portion, improving ergonomic positioning without requiring body contortion.
2Ease of operation
If the distal portion of the handle is made rotatable, then the physician can maintain ideal ergonomic positions, but the handle structure becomes more complex with additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is segmented into rotatable and stationary portions, with the distal portion capable of rotation relative to the proximal portion. This segmentation allows independent rotation of the distal portion to adjust shaft position while keeping the proximal portion stable, achieving maneuverability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A friction mechanism acts as an intermediary between the distal and proximal handle portions, providing controlled rotation and positioning. The friction mechanism allows the distal portion to rotate when needed while maintaining position when stationary, enabling maneuverability with minimal additional components.
3Stability of the object's composition
If frictional forces are used to maintain handle position, then the structure is simple, but the locking mechanism may not provide sufficient stability
Solution Approach 1:
A friction mechanism serves as an intermediary between the distal and proximal handle portions, providing both rotation capability and position maintenance. The friction mechanism allows controlled rotation during adjustment while providing sufficient stability to maintain the selected position during use, achieving both maneuverability and stability with a single mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The friction mechanism's holding force can be adjusted by changing parameters such as contact surface area, contact pressure, or friction coefficient. This allows optimization of the balance between rotation ease and position stability without adding complex locking mechanisms, maintaining simple structure while achieving adequate stability.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a locking mechanism is added to the handle, then the position stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The friction mechanism acts as an intermediary that combines both rotation control and position locking functions in a single mechanism. By optimizing the friction characteristics, the mechanism provides sufficient stability to maintain handle position without requiring additional separate locking components, achieving position stability while minimizing device complexity.
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
Enables physicians to maneuver medical devices comfortably without twisting, reducing strain and improving procedural efficiency by allowing rotation of the handle and shaft in a controlled manner.
Implementation Method 1
The distal portion of the handle may remain stationary relative to the proximal portion of the handle by frictional forces generated between a surface of the distal portion abutting a surface of the proximal portion.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device comprising a shaft, a handle including a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the distal portion is fixed to a proximal portion of the shaft, and a channel extending from the handle into the shaft, wherein the channel includes a proximal channel and a distal channel, the proximal channel being rotatable relative to the distal channel and aligned with the distal channel throughout rotation of the proximal channel, wherein the proximal portion includes the proximal channel and the distal portion includes the distal channel, wherein the distal portion is rotatable relative to the proximal portion of the handle, and the shaft is configured to rotate with the distal portion of the handle.