Self-Retracting Coil for Sterile Surgical Cable Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical instruments and their cables often fall out of the sterile field during surgery due to cable weight, causing contamination and distraction, and existing solutions add bulk or cost to the instruments.
Innovation Solution
A self-retracting coil system anchored within the sterile field keeps the surgical instrument and sterile cable portions inside, with optional hook and latch fasteners for secure parking, minimizing effort and bulk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cable management devices (reel pulleys, ratchet mechanisms) are used to keep instruments and cords within sterile fields, then reliability of maintaining sterility is improved, but device complexity and bulk increase considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cable management function from complex mechanical devices (reel pulleys, ratchet mechanisms) and implements it through a simple elastic cord system. The elastic cord is anchored to the surgical drape and connects to the instrument cable, providing automatic retraction without requiring complex mechanical components. This maintains sterility reliability while dramatically reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic cord system is self-regulating and requires no manual operation or complex control mechanisms. As the instrument cable moves or sags, the elastic cord automatically adjusts tension to maintain proper positioning within the sterile field. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex reel pulleys or ratchet mechanisms while ensuring continuous sterility maintenance.
2Reliability
If reusable cable management devices are used to maintain sterile fields, then reliability is improved, but cost increases due to sterilization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable elastic cords and anchoring components that are inexpensive to manufacture and eliminate the need for repeated sterilization. These single-use components are discarded after each surgical procedure, avoiding the high costs associated with sterilizing reusable cable management devices while maintaining reliable sterility protection throughout the procedure.
3Reliability
If heavy cable management mechanisms are used to prevent instruments from falling out of sterile field, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to added weight
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic cord system automatically responds to instrument movement and cable sagging without requiring surgeon intervention. The system self-adjusts to maintain instrument positioning within the sterile field, eliminating the need for heavy mechanical mechanisms that would impede surgical manipulation. Surgeons experience no additional operational burden while instrument loss prevention is maintained.
4Reliability
If complex cable retraction systems are used to manage sterile portions of cable, then reliability of keeping cable within sterile field is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cable retraction function from complex mechanical systems and implements it through a simple elastic cord attached to the surgical drape. This elastic cord passively manages the sterile cable portion, ensuring it remains within the sterile field without requiring complex reel mechanisms or active control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic cord system changes the mechanical parameter of cable tension dynamically, automatically adjusting to maintain proper cable positioning as the instrument moves or the cable sags. This passive parameter adjustment achieves reliable cable positioning within the sterile field without complex mechanical systems.
Data Source
AI summary
The subject devices and methods retain surgical instruments and sterile portions of any accompanying cables within sterile surgical fields. One such surgical device includes a surgical instrument for performing surgical procedures within a sterile field. A cable is attached to the surgical instrument for connecting the surgical instrument located within the sterile field to support equipment located outside the sterile field. A self-retracting coil is operatively connected to the surgical instrument. The self-retracting coil is adapted and configured to be anchored within the sterile field to ensure that the surgical instrument and the sterile portion of the cable remain within the sterile field during performance of the surgical procedure.