Surgical Instrument Organization System with Modular Trays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical operations face challenges due to tangled cables and instruments, which can lead to accidental movement and hinder quick access, necessitating an organized system for surgical instruments and cables in medical environments.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument organization system featuring a support member, platform, and container with an attachment system that includes tethers and retractors to securely manage and position surgical instruments, allowing adjustable orientation and illumination, while maintaining sterility and preventing cable tangling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If surgical devices are arranged near one another for ready accessibility, then ease of operation is improved, but cables become tangled and devices may move accidentally
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides surgical devices into separate modular trays, each tray holding specific instruments and cables. This segmentation prevents cable tangling between devices while maintaining organized access to each instrument group, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cable management components and securing mechanisms as intermediary elements between surgical devices. These intermediaries organize cables and prevent accidental device movement, allowing devices to remain accessible while eliminating the instability caused by tangled cables.
2Productivity
If multiple surgical devices are positioned close together, then quick access to devices is improved, but cable tanglement increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting devices into separate organized trays with dedicated cable routing, the system maintains close positioning for quick access while reducing cable complexity through structured organization. Each tray manages its own cables independently, preventing overall system complexity from increasing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes vertical stacking of trays and three-dimensional space utilization to organize cables and devices. This dimensional approach allows multiple devices to be positioned close together for quick access while cables are routed through dedicated pathways in different spatial dimensions, preventing tanglement.
3Ease of operation
If surgical instruments are left unsecured for easy access, then ease of operation is improved, but accidental movement and falling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-positions surgical instruments in organized trays with securing mechanisms in place before the surgical procedure begins. Instruments are readily accessible from the start while already secured against accidental movement, eliminating the need to choose between accessibility and safety during the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs self-retaining tray designs where instruments automatically secure themselves in designated slots or compartments. This self-service mechanism maintains instrument accessibility while preventing accidental movement without requiring additional active securing actions by the surgical team.
Data Source
AI summary
Organization systems for surgical instruments and associated methods and systems are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a surgical instrument organization system can be configured for use in a medical environment, and can include a flexible, sterile container having a lower portion. The container can include an attachment system configured to elastically couple one or more surgical instruments to the lower portion of the container. In some embodiments, the container can be carried by a portable base coupled to a platform via an adjustable support member.