Surgical Marker With Removable Nibs for Fluid Resistance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical markers with felt tips are ineffective when exposed to fluids, leading to poor marking performance and the need for frequent sterilization or opening of new packages, which is inconvenient and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A surgical marker with removable, serially aligned writing nibs that can be easily replaced when the tip becomes fluid-affected, featuring a mechanism for advancing a new nib into writing position, such as a spring-loaded inner housing and push-button interface, and using radiopaque elements and antibacterial inks for enhanced visibility and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a felt tip marker is used for surgical marking, then the marker is easy to hold and write with initially, but the marker loses its ability to write when the tip comes into contact with fluid
Solution Approach 1:
The marker is divided into a reusable body and replaceable nibs. The nibs are segmented components that can be independently replaced when fluid-affected, separating the writing element from the marker body to maintain reliability while preserving ease of operation of the main handle.
Solution Approach 2:
The nibs are designed with different tip configurations (fine-tip, wide-tip, chisel-tip) and ink types (xylene-based, crystal violet) to change the parameters of the writing element based on surgical requirements, allowing optimal performance in different fluid conditions and marking needs.
2Ease of manufacture
If disposable markers are used, then sterilization is simplified, but frequent opening of new packages and sterilization of new markers is required when the tip becomes fluid-affected
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the marker into reusable body and disposable nibs, the system allows the time-consuming sterilization process to be performed only once on the body, while nibs can be quickly replaced without sterilization, significantly reducing the time loss associated with frequent marker replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple nibs are pre-loaded into the marker body in a sterile configuration. This preliminary action allows the surgeon to access fresh nibs without requiring sterilization procedures, eliminating the time loss associated with sterilizing new markers during surgery.
3Productivity
If multiple nibs are included in the marker, then continuous marking is enabled without interruption, but the device complexity increases with mechanisms for advancing nibs
Solution Approach 1:
The nib advancement mechanism is segmented into simple, discrete components (spring-loaded inner housing, push-button interface) that work together through basic mechanical principles, reducing overall device complexity while enabling continuous marking through multiple pre-loaded nibs.
Data Source
AI summary
A marking instrument having a plurality of removable writing nibs serially aligned so that an operator can remove a spent or fluid-affected writing nib and, thereby, access a fresh writing tip.