Segmented Surgical Retractor Wheels for Independent Arm Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical retractors are bulky, require complex transmission mechanisms, and reduce visual accessibility due to knob-controlled wheel rotation, necessitating separate clutch and control means that complicate and increase size.
Innovation Solution
A surgical retractor with non-concentric wheel sections allowing independent arm movement, featuring two separate wheel segments guided by the frame, enabling intuitive finger control and direct feedback, reducing bulkiness and improving ergonomics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single wheel with rotary knob control is used, then the retractor can be controlled, but visual accessibility is reduced and the device becomes bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The single wheel is divided into two separate wheel sections, each controlling a different arm independently. This segmentation allows the surgeon to access and control each wheel section separately, improving visual accessibility while reducing the overall bulkiness compared to a single large wheel mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel sections are arranged non-concentrically rather than concentrically, utilizing spatial arrangement in another dimension. This non-concentric arrangement allows for a more compact overall structure while maintaining independent control of each arm, thereby reducing bulkiness without sacrificing operability.
2Device complexity
If a knurled mechanism is used to convert wheel rotation to arm translation, then the transmission is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex knurled transmission mechanism is extracted and replaced with a more direct connection between the wheel sections and arms. Each wheel section directly controls its associated arm through a simplified linkage, eliminating the need for complex knurled mechanisms and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a single complex transmission mechanism for both arms, two separate simplified wheel-section-to-arm connections are implemented. This copying approach uses two simple, identical transmission paths instead of one complex path, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining control efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate clutch and control means are used for asynchronous arm movement, then independent control is achieved, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The clutch mechanism and control means are merged into a single integrated wheel section structure. Each wheel section combines the functions of both clutch and control in one unified component, eliminating the need for separate clutch and control means, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining independent arm control capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a surgical retractor (E) comprising: - a frame (100) having a central opening (110), - arms (210, 220, 230) movable in translation, - a blade (310, 320, 330) associated with each arm, characterized in that it comprises two independent wheel portions (410, 420) guided in rotation by the frame (100) and collaborating with different arms (210, 220, 230) in order to provide independent movements.