Surgical Cart Docking Mechanism for Securing Movable Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical carts face issues with unsecured arms and devices that can collide, sway, and destabilize during transportation, posing risks of damage and harm, especially with advanced surgical technology and multiple carts being used.
Innovation Solution
The surgical cart incorporates docking features and locking mechanisms that allow devices to be selectively coupled and secured together, limiting movement and preventing collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If arms and devices are left free to move during transportation, then ease of operation is improved, but stability and safety deteriorate due to collisions and unintended movement
Solution Approach 1:
The docking features are pre-configured on the arms and base, ready to engage automatically or with minimal action when transportation mode is activated. This preliminary preparation allows quick transition from operational mode (arms free to move) to transportation mode (arms secured), resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and stability during movement.
2Stability of the object's composition
If docking features and locking mechanisms are added to secure devices, then stability and safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The docking features combine multiple functions into a single integrated mechanism: positioning guides, engagement surfaces, and locking interfaces are merged into unified components mounted on the arms and base. This integration achieves stable securing of devices during transportation while minimizing the increase in overall system complexity compared to separate, distributed securing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The docking features are designed with universal applicability across different device configurations. The same docking mechanism can secure various types of surgical devices and arms, reducing the need for device-specific securing solutions and thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining high stability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple devices are coupled together using docking features, then stability during transportation is improved, but the time required for assembly and disassembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The docking features are pre-positioned and pre-configured on the arms and base structures, with alignment guides and engagement surfaces prepared in advance. This allows rapid coupling and decoupling of devices during setup and transportation transitions, minimizing assembly time while ensuring stable connection when multiple devices are coupled together.
Solution Approach 2:
The securing system is segmented into modular docking features that can be independently engaged or disengaged. This segmentation allows selective coupling of only the necessary devices for each procedure, reducing the time required to assemble and disassemble the complete system while maintaining stability for the specific configuration being used.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical cart includes a base and a plurality of wheels. The surgical cart also includes a first device coupled to the base and moveable relative to the base, and a first docking feature coupled to the base. The surgical cart further includes a second device coupled to the base and moveable relative to the base, and a second docking feature coupled to the second device. The surgical cart further includes a third device coupled to the base and a third docking feature coupled to the third device. The first docking feature is engageable with the second docking feature to selectively couple the first device and the second device together, and the third docking feature is engageable with the first docking feature and the second docking feature to selectively engage the first docking feature, the second docking feature, and the third docking feature together.