Surgical Footswitch Foot Guard for Flexible Access and Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical footswitches lack advanced features to accommodate user preferences for access directions and stability during surgical procedures, potentially leading to user fatigue and reduced operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A surgical footswitch design featuring a rotatable treadle with a movable foot guard that allows for adjustable access in both lateral and longitudinal directions, enhancing user comfort and operational flexibility by preventing unintended access and providing stability through a floor engagement portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed foot guard design is used, then the structure is simple, but user access flexibility and comfort are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The foot guard is designed with movable components that can transition between different positions (blocking and non-blocking) to dynamically adapt to user needs. The rotatable treadle and movable foot guard create a dynamic system that adjusts access based on surgical requirements, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The foot guard serves multiple functions: it can block lateral access when needed for safety, allow lateral access when needed for ergonomics, and always permit longitudinal access for operation. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making a single component adaptable to different operational requirements.
2Reliability
If lateral access to the treadle is restricted, then unintended activation is prevented, but user comfort and accessibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The foot guard transitions between blocking and non-blocking positions dynamically, allowing the system to maintain reliability when needed while providing comfort when appropriate. The movable design enables the foot guard to adapt its protective function based on the surgical context.
Solution Approach 2:
The foot guard provides selective blocking - it can prevent lateral access in certain positions while allowing longitudinal access at all times. This localized control of access directions resolves the contradiction by applying protection only where and when it is needed, rather than uniformly restricting all access.
3Reliability
If the foot guard blocks lateral access, then safety is improved, but the device becomes less adaptable to different user preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The movable foot guard creates a dynamic safety system that can adjust its blocking behavior based on operational needs. The rotatable treadle mechanism allows the foot guard to change its orientation and blocking capability, providing both safety and adaptability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The foot guard system performs multiple safety functions: it can block lateral access when in the blocking position, allow lateral access when in the non-blocking position, and always permit longitudinal access. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making safety adaptable rather than fixed.
4Productivity
If hand-operated controls are used, then fine control is achieved, but surgical efficiency is reduced due to hand repositioning
Solution Approach 1:
The footswitch acts as an intermediary control device that translates foot pressure into precise control signals for the surgical instrument. This mediator allows the surgeon to control instrument functions using foot movements while keeping hands free for surgical manipulation, resolving the contradiction between efficiency and control accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces hand-operated mechanical controls with a foot-operated mechanical system. The rotatable treadle mechanism converts rotational foot movements into control signals, substituting the hand-control mechanical system with a foot-control system that improves surgical efficiency while maintaining control precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical footswitch for controlling a surgical instrument. The surgical footswitch includes a base. A treadle is rotatably coupled to the base to operate the surgical instrument. A foot guard is also rotatably coupled to the base. A blocking portion of the foot guard is configured to prevent physical access to the treadle in a lateral direction in a first position and permit access to the treadle in a lateral direction in a second position. A floor engagement portion of the foot guard engages a floor surface when the blocking portion is in the first position. The floor engagement portion is spaced from the floor surface when the blocking portion is in the second position. The floor engagement portion permits physical access to the treadle in a longitudinal direction when the blocking portion is in both the first position and the second position.