Sterilizable Hand Tool with Basket for Foreign Object Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wire cutters, both medical and non-medical, pose health and safety issues when used for removing foreign objects from patients due to lack of sterility, potential for projectiles, and inadequate design for precise medical procedures, leading to complications and hazards during foreign object removal.

Innovation Solution

A hand tool with pivotable jaws, a lock mechanism, and a basket attachment for containing cut pieces, designed for easy sterilization and improved leverage, allowing for safe and sanitary removal of foreign objects with reduced risk of projectiles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If general-purpose wire cutters are used for removing foreign objects from patients, then the tool is readily available and can perform cutting functions, but the tool cannot ensure sterility and may cause health and safety issues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesterility assuranceVSAvoidtool availability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent describes a hand tool that can be sterilized and disposed of after a single use, or designed as a disposable tool. This ensures sterility for each patient while maintaining availability of tools for continuous use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The hand tool is designed with separable components including a head assembly and handle assembly that can be detached for sterilization or replaced entirely. This segmentation allows the cutting portion to be sterilized independently while maintaining the structural integrity of the tool.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional wire cutters are used, then the cutting function is provided, but cut pieces can become high velocity projectiles that endanger patients and staff

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprojectile preventionVSAvoidcutting operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates a basket or container as an intermediary structure between the cutting edges and the external environment. This basket captures cut pieces immediately upon separation, preventing them from becoming projectiles while allowing the cutting action to proceed normally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The design converts the potentially harmful ejection of cut pieces into a beneficial containment system where the basket's structure guides and captures the cut pieces, transforming the projectile hazard into a controlled collection process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Area of stationary object

If home repair wire cutters with thick jaws are used, then the tool structure is simple and robust, but the jaws impede visualization and are difficult to operate in close quarters

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejaw sizeVSAvoidoperability in close quarters

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The hand tool features jaws with localized cutting edges that are precisely positioned and sized for medical applications. The jaw structure provides sufficient strength at the cutting point while maintaining a compact overall size that allows operation in confined medical spaces without impeding visualization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The tool design transitions from the bulky three-dimensional jaws of home repair cutters to a more refined structure where the cutting action occurs in a localized plane, reducing the overall footprint of the jaws while maintaining cutting effectiveness through precise edge positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Object-affected harmful factors

If general-purpose cutters are used, then the tool is widely available, but there is no mechanism to collect and hold cut pieces, causing them to become difficult to find and potentially cause trauma

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecut piece containmentVSAvoidtool structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the cutting function with a collection function by integrating a basket or container structure with the hand tool. This merging of functions allows cut pieces to be contained immediately after separation without requiring additional tools or steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The hand tool is designed to perform multiple functions: cutting the foreign object, containing the cut pieces, and facilitating their removal. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate collection tools while maintaining surgical sterility and safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11285581B2Hand tool

Publication Date: 2022.03.29 STANLEY MEDICAL DESIGNS INC

AI summary

A hand tool includes a head comprising a pair of opposing jaws. Each jaw includes a cutting edge. The hand tool also includes a first handle and a second handle which pivot through a first plane to move the hand tool between an open position and a closed position. In some embodiments, the hand tool also includes a lock pivotable between a locked position and an unlocked position through a second plane distinct from the first plane. In some embodiments, the hand tool also includes a basket having a first basket section removably attached to one of the pair of jaws and a second basket section removably attached to the other of the pair of jaws.