Surgical Incise Drape with Extensible Carrier for Wrinkle-Free Application
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical incise drapes are cumbersome and difficult to apply wrinkle-free, often requiring multiple personnel and leading to potential bacterial contamination at the surgical site due to their large size and flimsy nature, which complicates maintaining a sterile environment during procedures.
Innovation Solution
A surgical incise drape comprising an extensible film with a pressure-sensitive adhesive and an extensible carrier that extends past the film's edges for gripping, allowing for wrinkle-free application, optionally with rigid tabs and a release liner for enhanced handling and adherence to the patient's body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If conventional incise drapes are made large to cover the surgical area, then the coverage area is improved, but the ease of application deteriorates due to wrinkling and difficulty in handling
Solution Approach 1:
The drape is divided into a film portion and a separate carrier portion. The carrier acts as a temporary support structure that segments the application process, allowing the large drape to be handled in a controlled manner without wrinkling, while the film portion provides the required coverage area.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier serves as an intermediary element between the handler and the film. It provides a rigid structure for gripping and manipulation during application, eliminating direct handling of the flimsy film and preventing wrinkles while maintaining full coverage area.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional incise drapes are made flimsy to conform to skin contours, then the conformability is improved, but the ease of application deteriorates due to wrinkling and self-sticking
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the conformable film from the rigid carrier. The film maintains its flimsy, conformable nature for skin adaptation, while the carrier provides structural integrity for easy handling and application without wrinkling or self-sticking issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier acts as an intermediary that prevents direct contact between the flimsy film and the application environment. This intermediary structure eliminates handling difficulties and self-sticking problems while allowing the film to maintain its conformability for skin adaptation.
3Reliability
If multiple personnel are used to apply conventional drapes, then the application completeness is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier is designed to enable self-service application. Its rigid structure with gripping portions allows a single operator to control and apply the entire large drape independently, eliminating the need for multiple personnel while ensuring complete and wrinkle-free application.
4Strength
If aggressive adhesive is used to secure the drape, then the adherence strength is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in removal and potential skin damage
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive is extracted from the film and transferred to the carrier. This allows the adhesive to provide strong adherence during surgery while enabling easy removal by simply peeling the carrier away from the film, reducing skin trauma and improving ease of removal.
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
Facilitates easy, wrinkle-free application of the drape over uneven body surfaces, improving adherence and reducing bacterial contamination risks while maintaining a sterile surgical site, thus enhancing the effectiveness of surgical incise drapes in preventing infections.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure-sensitive adhesive adhered to at least a major portion of the first major surface of the extensible film
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical incise drape of the invention comprises: an essentially transparent or translucent extensible film having opposite first and second major surfaces and opposite first and second side edges; a pressure-sensitive adhesive adhered to at least a major portion of the first major surface of the extensible film; an extensible carrier removably adhered to the second major surface of the extensible film and extending past the first and second side edges of the extensible film to provide gripping portions for facilitating wrinkle-free application of the drape to a patient; and, optionally, a release liner adhered to the pressure-sensitive adhesive opposite the extensible film. Methods of applying such surgical incise drapes to a surgical site on a patient's body are also disclosed.