Surgical Table Curved Guideway for Wider Tilt and Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing operating tables face restrictions in adjusting the bearing surface's inclination and tilting axes due to spatial limitations, which hinder both height adjustment and pivoting movements, as pivot axes often collide with the lifting guide.
Innovation Solution
A continuously curved guideway is integrated on the column head with a saddle that can be adjusted along the guideway, allowing the bearing surface to pivot without needing support through the column head, thus creating space for height adjustment and enabling larger inclination angles without collision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the pivot axes are arranged above the lifting guide to achieve sufficient free space for pivoting movements, then the pivoting range is improved, but the height adjustment capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the pivot axis from a vertical arrangement (above the lifting guide) to a horizontal arrangement (at the front or rear of the lifting guide). This dimensional change allows the pivot axis to be positioned in the lateral direction rather than the vertical direction, eliminating the conflict between pivot axis placement and height adjustment space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the column head into functionally independent regions: the lifting guide for vertical movement and the pivot axis bearing for rotational movement. By separating these functions spatially (placing the pivot axis bearing at the front or rear rather than above), each component can operate independently without interfering with the other, resolving the contradiction between pivoting range and height adjustment capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the pivot axes are arranged to penetrate the lifting guide to enable pivoting, then the pivoting function is improved, but the height adjustment capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pivot axis bearing from the lifting guide structure, placing it at the front or rear of the lifting guide rather than having it penetrate through the guide. This separation eliminates the interference between the pivot axis and the lifting guide, allowing both the pivoting function and height adjustment capability to operate independently without mutual restriction.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the bearing surface is positioned at a large distance from the pivot axis to achieve sufficient pivoting movement, then the pivoting range is improved, but the space for height adjustment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spatial arrangement by positioning the pivot axis bearing at the front or rear of the lifting guide in the lateral dimension, rather than requiring vertical space above the lifting guide. This allows the bearing surface to be positioned at an optimal distance from the pivot axis for sufficient pivoting range while preserving vertical space for height adjustment operations.
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
This design enhances the freedom of movement for the bearing surface, allowing for greater height adjustment and larger inclination angles without restricting pivoting movements, and allows for horizontal displacement of the patient support surface without additional guides or drives.
Implementation Method 1
a continuously curved guideway is provided on the column head, the axis of curvature of which lies within the table column and on which a saddle that can be coupled to the bearing surface is mounted in such a way that it can be moved by means of a saddle drive is adjustable along the guideway
Implementation Method 2
The guide track is preferably arranged on a head frame which can be pivoted by means of a pivot drive about a pivot axis perpendicular to the axis of curvature of the guide track relative to the table column
Implementation Method 3
The caliper drive preferably has at least one push and/or pull element that is flexible in at least one direction, which is guided in a displaceable manner along the guide track and is connected on the one hand to the caliper and on the other hand to an actuator
Implementation Method 4
A particularly space-saving yet functionally reliable design of the caliper drive can be achieved in that the push and/or pull element is a back-rigid chain that can only bend in one direction. Such a chain can be connected directly to the piston of the pressure-medium-actuated cylinder and forms, as it were, a rigid piston rod
Data Source
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AI summary
The table has a column (10) with a base (14) and a head (16), and a patient accommodating area (12), which is connected with the head. The area is swivelable relative to the column around an axis, which is parallel to the accommodating area plane. A curved guide way (42), which is continuous around a curved axis, is provided at the head. A saddle coupled with the area is supported on the guide way so that saddle is adjustable along the guide way by a drive.