Surgical Cable Organizer With Latching Slots for Vertical Mounting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surgical cable organizers are inadequate for securing cables and tubes during minimally invasive surgeries, leading to tangling, safety issues, and potential contamination, with existing devices being either unsuitable for vertical mounting, damaging delicate cables, or too bulky for the sterile surgical field.

Innovation Solution

A cable, wire, and tube organizer with a donut-shaped main body and integral holders featuring inwardly tilted teeth, combined with a latching mechanism that secures cables and tubes, allowing vertical or horizontal mounting and attachment to the surgical field using hook-and-loop fasteners or towel clamps, ensuring secure and safe cable management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If clamps are used to secure cables (Walters et al. device), then cables can be secured, but the device cannot be mounted vertically for hysteroscopic surgery and may damage delicate cables

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable securityVSAvoidmounting orientation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into separate functional components: a body with cable receiving slots, a latching mechanism for securing cables, and attachment means for mounting. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, enabling vertical mounting capability while maintaining cable security through the latching mechanism rather than relying on clamps alone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using clamps that grip cables from the outside (which may damage delicate cables), the invention uses inwardly tilted teeth that guide cables into slots and secure them from the inside. This inverted approach secures cables without external pressure points, preventing damage while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If clamps are used to secure cables (Walters et al. device), then cables can be secured, but delicate cables such as fiber optical light cables may be damaged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable securityVSAvoidcable damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention inverts the traditional clamp approach by using inwardly tilted teeth that guide cables into slots and secure them from the inside rather than gripping from the outside. This prevents pressure points and mechanical damage to delicate cables like fiber optics while maintaining secure retention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The cable slots and latching mechanism are designed to accommodate cables of various diameters and flexibilities without rigid constriction. The latching mechanism applies distributed pressure rather than concentrated force, protecting delicate cable structures from damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Reliability

If a device is designed to prevent tubes from sliding freely (Simons device), then tube security is improved, but the device becomes too bulky to use within a crowded sterile field

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetube securityVSAvoiddevice size

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention combines multiple functions into a single compact device: cable/tube receiving slots, latching mechanism for security, and attachment means for mounting are integrated into one unit. This merging achieves tube security without the bulk of separate components, allowing use in crowded sterile fields.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The device is designed to accommodate multiple types of cables and tubes of varying diameters through universally sized slots and a flexible latching mechanism. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple specialized devices, reducing overall bulk while maintaining security for all cable types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Reliability

If a cable organizer is designed with secure latching mechanism, then cable security is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecable securityVSAvoidmechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The latching mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through a simple lever action that automatically secures cables when the lever is moved to the locked position. The inwardly tilted teeth automatically guide cables into the slots during insertion, eliminating the need for complex alignment mechanisms or multiple adjustment components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10945803B2Cable, wire and tube organizer for laparoscopic and hysteroscopic surgery

Publication Date: 2021.03.16 RECANATI MAURICE ANDRE

AI summary

An organizing device for use during medical procedures is disclosed which, when used during laparoscopic or hysteroscopic surgery, enables the surgeon to keep multiple tubes, wires and cables organized. In a first embodiment, this device may have a rectangular shaped body, a top section with an integral ring at its center and a bottom section having a plurality of slots optimized for the insertion and retention of cables and tubes. The end sections contain, on one end a second integral ring, and on another a pivot point allowing a friction-closure latch mechanism to secure the slots. In a second embodiment, the device may have a donut shaped body, an integral ring at the center and a plurality of slots radially arranged at the periphery and secured through a cylindrical latching mechanism. In a third embodiment, the device may be secured using magnets instead of a pivoting latch mechanism.