Adjustable-Length Stabilizer Arm for Flexible-to-Rigid Tissue Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stabilizer arms for surgical procedures lack easy adjustability in length, limiting their ability to conform to various contoured paths and maintain desired configurations due to fixed overall length, which restricts their degrees of freedom and flexibility in a crowded surgical environment.
Innovation Solution
A stabilizer arm with a plurality of successive articulating and length-adjustable links, a tension cable extending through central passages, and a control mechanism that allows selective separation of length-adjustable links to adjust tension and rigidity, enabling adjustable length and flexible configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the stabilizer arm uses a fixed overall length design, then the structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but the adaptability to conform to various contoured paths is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizer arm is divided into multiple modular links (first link, second link, third link) that can be independently adjusted in length. Each link contains adjustment mechanisms allowing the overall length to be modified by extending or retracting segments, enabling adaptation to various contoured paths while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizer arm transitions from a static fixed-length structure to a dynamic adjustable-length structure. The links can be extended or retracted during operation to change the overall length, providing adaptability to different surgical site geometries and contoured paths while maintaining structural integrity through controlled mechanical adjustments
2Adaptability or versatility
If the stabilizer arm allows easy length adjustment, then the flexibility and adaptability improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism uses nested structures where segments are telescoping or nested within each other. The first link, second link, and third link contain internal adjustment mechanisms that allow length modification through nested component interaction, providing easy adjustability while containing the complexity within compact nested structures rather than external complex mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The tension cable acts as an intermediary element that controls the extension and retraction of the links. By adjusting cable tension, the operator can control the length adjustment of multiple links simultaneously, simplifying the user interface while the complex adjustment mechanism is handled automatically through the cable tensioning system
3Stability of the object's composition
If the stabilizer arm is made rigid to maintain positioning, then the stability improves, but the flexibility to conform to desired curvature is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizer arm employs dynamic adjustment capabilities where the links can be extended or retracted during the conforming process. Once the desired curvature and position are achieved, the adjustment mechanisms lock the links in place, transitioning the structure from a flexible adjustable state to a rigid stable state, thereby resolving the contradiction between flexibility during setup and stability during operation
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 solution provides enhanced flexibility and adjustability, allowing the stabilizer arm to conform to complex surgical site geometries and maintain desired shapes, improving operational efficiency in crowded surgical environments by allowing precise length adjustment and maintaining rigidity when needed.
Implementation Method 1
A tension cable extends through the central passages between a proximal one of the length-adjustable links and a distal one of the articulating links
Data Source
AI summary
A reusable flexible arm stabilizes tissues during surgical procedures. The stabilizer arm switches between a flexible state for conforming to a desired curvature and a rigid state for maintain a desired positioning. A suspension length provided by the stabilizer arm is also adjustable. The arm has an articulating portion with successive articulating links each having a central passage. A length adjustable portion has successive length-adjustable links each having a central passage. A tension cable extends through the central passages between a proximal one of the length-adjustable links and a distal one of the articulating links. A base member captures the length-adjustable links at a position corresponding to a desired extension length of the arm. A control mechanism is movable between a retracted position and an extended position to selectably separate the captured length-adjustable links, thereby adjusting a tension in the tension cable and a rigidity of the stabilizer arm.