Two-portion surgical drape with movable cover for sterile access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical drapes fail to effectively maintain sterility during the assembly, removal, or replacement of distal device extensions in surgical robotic systems, as they often expose non-sterile device areas to the operating environment, risking contamination.
Innovation Solution
A surgical drape system featuring a deformable fixation element and a two-portion design, where one portion includes an opening aligned with the access port and a cover that can be moved to expose the port only when necessary, minimizing exposure and maintaining sterility by using materials like thermoplastic polyurethane and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, and attachment means such as adhesives and hook and loop fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional surgical drape is used to cover the entire device, then sterility is maintained, but access to the access port for assembling or removing extensions is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The drape is divided into multiple segments: a main body portion covering the device, a movable cover portion that can be displaced to expose the access port, and a fenestration portion. This segmentation allows the drape to maintain overall coverage while providing controlled access points for assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The drape incorporates movable components including a cover portion that can be displaced from a covering position to an exposed position, and a fenestration portion that can be moved between covering and exposing the access port. This dynamic design allows the drape to adapt between maintaining sterility and enabling access as needed.
2Ease of operation
If the access port is exposed during assembly operations, then extensions can be assembled or removed, but non-sterile device areas become exposed to the sterile environment
Solution Approach 1:
The drape separates the exposure function into a dedicated fenestration portion that can be independently moved to expose only the access port area, while the rest of the drape body remains in place covering non-sterile areas. This allows localized access without compromising overall sterility.
Solution Approach 2:
The drape provides different functional qualities in different areas: the fenestration portion allows selective exposure of the access port for assembly operations, while the main body and cover portions maintain sterile coverage of non-sterile device areas. Each portion is optimized for its specific function.
3Reliability
If a deformable fixation element is added to the drape, then the drape can be securely fitted to the device, but the drape structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation element is made from a deformable portion of the drape itself, utilizing the flexible nature of the drape material to create a fixation mechanism. This flexible shell approach allows the drape to conform to the device shape and secure itself without requiring rigid structural additions.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable fixation element is configured to be deformable by a user's hand, allowing the user to directly manipulate and secure the drape to the device without requiring additional tools or complex mechanisms. The drape fixes itself through simple manual deformation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Some embodiments relate to a two-portion drape for a surgical device, comprising: I. a first drape portion formed of a thin sheet of flexible material defining an elongated hollow sleeve, the first drape portion comprising: an open end on a first side of the sleeve; a partially closed end on a second, opposing side of the sleeve; an elongated sleeve body extending between the open end and the partially closed end; and an accessible opening which extends from the partially closed end to an adjacent portion of the sleeve body; II. a second drape portion configured for deployment over the first drape portion, the second drape portion formed of a thin sheet of flexible material, the second drape portion shaped and sized to cover the accessible opening at least in part.