Surgical Table Data Transmission System with Wireless Remote Nodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical tables lack advanced smart sensing and control features, limiting their ability to prevent unsafe movements and requiring complex wiring and configuration for multiple components and accessories.
Innovation Solution
A surgical table data transmission system with remote nodes that enable wireless or wired communication between components, accessories, and a data aggregation node, allowing for flexible data exchange without individual data lines, enhancing safety and reducing wiring efforts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional wired communication is used for each component, then data transmission reliability is improved, but device complexity and wiring effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual data transmission lines for different components are merged into a single wireless communication channel. The surgical table controller communicates with multiple components (position sensors, load cells, safety interlocks) through a unified wireless interface, eliminating the need for separate wired connections for each component while maintaining reliable data transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
Physical wired connections are replaced with wireless communication technology. The patent implements wireless sensors and transmitters that substitute for traditional wired sensors, allowing data transmission without physical cable connections. This reduces wiring complexity while maintaining the reliability needed for surgical safety applications.
2Loss of information
If individual data lines are provided for each component, then data transmission accuracy is improved, but ease of manufacture and installation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
A universal wireless communication protocol and interface is implemented across all surgical table components. The same wireless transmitter and receiver architecture is used for different component types (position sensors, load cells, safety interlocks), allowing a single multi-functional communication system to handle all data transmission needs without requiring component-specific wiring or configuration.
3Ease of operation
If wireless communication is used, then ease of operation and safety are improved, but reliability may deteriorate due to potential interference
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless communication system implements feedback mechanisms including acknowledgment packets, retransmission protocols, and signal quality monitoring. The surgical table controller receives confirmation that data packets were successfully received by components, and automatically retransmits data if acknowledgment is not received, ensuring reliable communication despite potential wireless interference.
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical table data transmission system (11) is provided. The system (11) comprises a data aggregation node (10), and at least one remote node (8) attachable to a component (7) or an accessory (12) of a surgical table (1), wherein the data aggregation node (10) and the remote node (8) are configured to exchange data by a first wired or wireless communication, the data aggregation node (10) is configured to exchange the data with at least one of a controller (9) of the surgical table (1) and a hospital network gateway (14) by a second wired or wireless communication, and the remote node (8) is configured to transmit identification data of the component (7) or accessory (12) or to transmit received sensor data to the data aggregation node (10).