Surgical Equipment Holder Single-Handed Lever Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical equipment holders require two hands to position and lock surgical instruments, limiting the surgeon's ability to adjust the equipment during minimally invasive procedures, as they need to use one hand to manipulate the instrument and another to tighten the locking mechanism, which is inefficient and often requires assistance.
Innovation Solution
A surgical equipment holder with a lever that allows single-handed operation to pivot and lock the arms and end effector, using a tension rod with a spherical stop end and a spacing washer for precise positioning and locking, enabling the surgeon to hold the lever with one hand and position the equipment with the other.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional screw and control knob locking mechanism is used, then the arms can be locked in position, but two hands are required to position and lock the equipment, reducing operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple locking functions into a single lever mechanism. The lever simultaneously controls the locking of the first arm to the base, the second arm to the first arm, and the end effector to the second arm, eliminating the need for separate screw mechanisms and enabling single-handed operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever serves multiple functions: it acts as both a positioning control and a locking mechanism for all three arms. By integrating these functions into a single component, the system allows one hand to control the entire positioning and locking sequence while the other hand manipulates the surgical instrument.
2Reliability
If multiple separate locking mechanisms are used for each arm, then each arm can be independently locked, but the device complexity increases and requires more hands to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges three separate locking mechanisms (screw-threaded openings in the first arm, screw-threaded openings in the second arm, and the end effector locking) into a single lever-operated system. This reduction in complexity while maintaining reliability is achieved through the lever's ability to simultaneously engage all locking points through a single motion.
3Ease of operation
If the surgeon uses one hand to position the instrument and another to tighten the locking mechanism, then the equipment can be secured, but the surgeon cannot maintain all degrees of freedom during adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is designed to perform the locking action in advance of any instrument manipulation. By locking all arms simultaneously at the desired position before the surgeon begins manipulating the instrument with one hand, the system maintains full degrees of freedom during the procedure without requiring the surgeon to switch hands for locking operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical equipment holder is disclosed. The surgical equipment holder includes a first arm pivotable relative to a base, a second arm pivotably coupled to the first arm and an end effector pivotable relative to the second arm. The surgical equipment holder may also include features on the first arm and the second arm configured to allow enhanced cleanability of the surgical instrument holder. The surgical equipment holder also includes a lever configured to actuate between a locked and unlocked position by use of a single hand by an operator. The end effector of the surgical equipment holder is configured to support and finely adjust the position of any number of surgical accessories during surgical procedures.