Spring-Loaded Surgical Retractor for Automatic Tissue Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional surgical retractors require manual adjustment and locking of expansion devices to match changing tissue openings during surgery, causing inconvenience and burden on medical personnel.
Innovation Solution
A surgical retractor design featuring a mounting base, first and second rod members, a compression spring, an extension spring, and a position member, allowing for automatic adjustment of the expansion position through sliding and locking mechanisms, reducing the need for continuous manual adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual adjustment and locking mechanisms are used in traditional surgical retractors, then the expansion device can be positioned and locked, but medical personnel must constantly adjust and re-lock the device to match changing tissue openings during surgery, causing operational burden and inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical retractor is designed with a spring-loaded expansion device that automatically adjusts and locks at different positions along the rod body without requiring manual intervention. The spring mechanism provides continuous force to maintain expansion pressure while the device can slide freely to adapt to changing tissue openings, eliminating the need for medical personnel to repeatedly adjust and lock the position manually.
Solution Approach 2:
The expansion device transitions from a static locked position system to a dynamic sliding system with continuous adjustment capability. The device can move along the rod body under spring force to continuously match changing tissue opening sizes during surgery, providing real-time adaptation without manual intervention.
2Extent of automation
If a spring mechanism is used to enable automatic adjustment, then continuous manual intervention is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to additional components like springs, sliding mechanisms, and locking structures
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical retractor is divided into functionally independent segments: a rod body for support, a spring mechanism for providing expansion force, an expansion device for tissue separation, and a sliding interface for position adjustment. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function simply, reducing overall system complexity while enabling automatic adjustment capability.
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
The design enables automatic adjustment of the expansion position, improving convenience and reducing the operational burden on medical personnel by using elastic forces to maintain tissue expansion without constant manual intervention.
Implementation Method 1
a compression spring (15) is arranged on the connecting member (14) and abuts against the shoulder (141) and the blocking part (121)
Implementation Method 2
an extension spring (17) connects the first connecting part (142) and the second connecting part (161)
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical retractor includes a mounting base, a first rod member, a connecting member, a compression spring, a second rod member, an expansion member, an extension spring and a position member. One end of the first rod member is assembled on the mounting base, and the other end of the first rod member includes a blocking part; the connecting member is assembled on the first rod member and includes a shoulder and a first connecting part; the compression spring is arranged on the connecting member and abuts against the shoulder and the blocking part; the second rod member is slidably arranged on the first rod member; the expansion member is arranged at the end of the second rod member and includes a second connecting part; an extension spring connects the first connecting part and the second connecting part; a position member selectively abuts against the first rod member.