Surgical Table Cladding Protection Device
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical tables' height adjustment mechanisms are often damaged due to foreign objects being lodged beneath the telescoping cladding assembly during repositioning, leading to operational failures and integrity compromises, which can result in costly replacements and safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A cladding protection device that surrounds the perimeter of the height adjustment mechanism, comprising multiple bodies with couplers that form a protective enclosure without physical fastening, using inwardly projecting stand-offs to stabilize and prevent movement, thus inhibiting foreign objects from contacting the mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective device is added around the height adjustment mechanism, then the mechanism is protected from foreign objects, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective device is divided into multiple separable bodies that can be individually positioned around the height adjustment mechanism. Each body can be independently installed and removed, allowing for easy maintenance and cleaning while providing comprehensive protection when assembled together.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective bodies are designed to nest around the existing height adjustment mechanism and cladding assembly. The protective structure integrates with the surgical table's existing components without requiring complete redesign or physical fastening to the table structure.
2Reliability
If the protective device is permanently fastened to the surgical table, then the protection is more secure, but the ease of repair and cleaning decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective device transitions from a static permanently fastened structure to a dynamic removable and reconfigurable system. The bodies can be easily assembled and disassembled without tools, allowing for quick removal for cleaning or repair while providing stable protection during surgical procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective device is designed to be self-contained with each body having complementary couplers that enable easy connection and disconnection. The gravity-assisted coupling mechanism allows medical personnel to install and remove the protective device without requiring specialized tools or technical expertise.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the protective enclosure is tightly fitted around the mechanism, then foreign objects are better inhibited, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective bodies feature localized precision elements only where needed for protection, such as inwardly projecting stand-offs at critical contact points with the height adjustment mechanism. Other portions of the bodies have more tolerant dimensions, reducing overall manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining effective protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The inwardly projecting stand-offs act as intermediary elements between the protective bodies and the height adjustment mechanism. These stand-offs provide the critical precision positioning and protection without requiring the entire protective device to be manufactured with high precision, as only the stand-off tips need to accurately engage the mechanism.
4Ease of operation
If multiple separable bodies are used to form the protective device, then the ease of operation and maintenance improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple protective bodies are merged into a unified protective enclosure when assembled, providing comprehensive protection equivalent to a single complex piece. However, the complementary couplers enable easy separation into simple, manageable components for maintenance, effectively combining the advantages of both integrated and modular designs.
Data Source
AI summary
A cladding protection device is provided for protecting a height adjustment mechanism used to raise and lower the height of an operating room table. The cladding protection device includes a plurality of bodies seated upon the table base of the operating room table to surround a perimeter of the height adjustment mechanism to thereby inhibit contact with foreign objects. In one example, a complimentary coupler comprising a first coupler on one of the plurality of bodies removably engages a second coupler on another of the plurality of bodies to form the cladding protection device. In another example, a plurality of inwardly projecting stand-offs are located in close proximity with the perimeter of the height adjustment mechanism to inhibit directional movement of the cladding protection device.