Surgical Table Leg Support With Independent Pivot Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical tables face challenges in providing adequate access to obese patients' abdomens during procedures, and existing leg supports are not mechanically simple for servicing and cleaning, particularly in accessing areas between the patient's legs.
Innovation Solution
A leg support system for surgical tables featuring a connector with a first pivot joint, an intermediate member, and a support with a second pivot joint, allowing for adjustable positioning and locking mechanisms to facilitate access and maintenance, including a lightweight design for improved accessibility and ease of cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional fixed leg support is used, then the structure is simple, but access to areas between the patient's legs is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The leg support is divided into separate components: a leg support member and an intermediate member that can move independently. This segmentation allows the support to achieve complex positioning movements while maintaining relatively simple individual components, resolving the contradiction between improved access capability and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg support transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamic one with movable intermediate members that can be positioned at different locations. This dynamic capability enables the support to adapt to different surgical needs and provide access to areas between the patient's legs without requiring a completely complex redesign.
2Ease of operation
If a complex adjustable leg support is used, then access to obese patients' abdomens is improved, but maintenance and cleaning become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate member is designed as a separate, extractable component that can be removed from the leg support assembly. This extraction capability allows for easy cleaning of hard-to-reach areas and simplified maintenance of the joint mechanisms, addressing the contradiction between improved patient access and ease of maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the leg support into removable intermediate members and a main support structure, the design enables targeted cleaning and maintenance of specific components. This segmentation reduces the overall complexity of maintenance while maintaining the adjustable positioning capabilities needed for accessing obese patients' abdomens.
3Ease of operation
If traditional leg supports are used, then the structure is robust, but the weight makes them difficult to adjust and service
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the leg support into separate intermediate members and support structures reduces the weight of each individual component that needs to be manipulated during adjustment and servicing. This segmentation makes the system easier to handle while maintaining overall structural robustness through the coordinated arrangement of lighter components.
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
The leg support system enhances access to areas between a patient's legs, simplifies maintenance and cleaning, and provides a versatile, lightweight solution for various surgical procedures, particularly beneficial for obese patients.
Implementation Method 1
an intermediate member mounted on the connector by a first pivot joint defining a first axis about which the intermediate member is displaceable relative to the connector
Implementation Method 2
a support for supporting a leg of a patient, the support mounted on the intermediate member by a second pivot joint defining a second axis about which the support is displaceable relative to the intermediate member
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a leg support (20) for a surgical table, the leg support comprising a connector (200) for connecting the leg support to a surgical table; an intermediate member (300) mounted on the connector by a first pivot joint (P1) defining a first axis (A1) about which the intermediate member is displaceable relative to the connector; and a support (400) for supporting a leg of a patient, the support mounted on the intermediate member by a second pivot joint (P2) defining a second axis (A2) about which the support is displaceable relative to the intermediate member independently of displacement of the intermediate member relative to the connector about the first axis, the second axis being parallel to the first axis, and a plane normal to the second axis passing through both the intermediate member and the support. Also described is a kit of parts for a leg support, a method of configuring a leg support, a surgical table comprising a leg support, and a kit of parts for a surgical table.