Articulated Spinal Surgery Positioning for Access and Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spinal surgery tables and surgical componentry often provide limited access to and stabilization of the patient's spine, failing to meet desired access and stabilization needs, which hinders improved patient-health outcomes.
Innovation Solution
A patient-positioning system with a longitudinally-oriented support beam and adjustable patient supports, including telescopic and pivotable components, allows for articulation of the patient in multiple planes, providing enhanced access and stabilization of the spine during surgery, facilitated by a computer-control and data-integration system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional spinal surgery tables and surgical componentry are used, then the surgery can be performed with standard equipment, but access to the patient's spine is limited and stabilization is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical table is divided into multiple independently controllable segments (head support, thorax support, pelvic support, leg support) that can be articulated relative to each other. This segmentation allows each segment to be positioned and oriented independently to provide optimal access to different portions of the spine while maintaining overall patient stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical table incorporates dynamic articulation capabilities with multiple degrees of freedom, allowing the segments to move and adjust during surgery. The table can transition between different configurations (prone, lateral, supine positions) and maintain stable articulated positions, providing both accessibility and stabilization throughout the surgical procedure.
2Ease of operation
If the surgical table provides limited access to the spine, then the device structure remains simple, but surgeon ergonomics deteriorate and surgical pathways are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical table adds dimensional flexibility by incorporating multiple articulation axes and degrees of freedom. The segments can be positioned in three-dimensional space to optimize surgical ergonomics, allowing surgeons to access the spine from optimal angles while the table maintains a manageable structural complexity through modular design.
3Reliability
If conventional surgical componentry is used, then the equipment is straightforward, but stabilization of the patient's spine is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical componentry is designed with local quality variations, where different components provide specialized functions tailored to specific anatomical regions. The articulated segments can be independently positioned to provide precise stabilization at each spinal level being treated, while the overall system maintains manageable complexity through modular, region-specific components.
Data Source
AI summary
A patient-positioning system, computer-control and data-integration system, and surgical componentry are provided. The patient-positioning system can be used to manipulate the patient prior to, during, and after surgery to globally or regionally articulate the patient's body to facilitate stabilization of the patient's spine. And the computer-control and data-integration system can be used to facilitate operation of the patient-positioning system and enabling technologies use to perform surgery.Furthermore, the surgical componentry can be used to locally articulate the patient's body and/or the stabilize patient's spine. Surgical methods of using the patient-positioning system, the computer-control and data-integration system, and the surgical componentry for improving patient health outcomes are also provided.