Modular Surgical Table Drive Assist for Stable Patient Positioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient support apparatuses face challenges such as difficulty in accurately measuring weight distribution, cumbersome maneuverability, instability, high manufacturing costs, and hydraulic system leaks, particularly in surgical tables.
Innovation Solution
A modular, multicomponent surgical table system with adjustable support columns, removable attachments, and a drive assist mechanism, featuring a drive assist user interface module and linkage systems for stable, efficient patient positioning and maneuvering, utilizing electrical and mechanical means to enhance control and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional weight sensors are used in prior art devices, then weight measurement capability is provided, but accurate measurement of changes in weight distribution is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical table is divided into multiple sections (head section, leg section, trunk section) with individual weight sensors placed at strategic locations. This segmentation allows independent measurement of weight distribution across different body regions, enabling accurate detection of weight changes and patient positioning without the interference that plagues conventional single-point sensing systems.
2Stability of the object's composition
If surgical tables are designed with robust support structures, then patient support stability is improved, but the tables become difficult or cumbersome to maneuver
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical table incorporates adjustable and movable components including height-adjustable legs, repositionable sections, and a modular design that allows the table to adapt its configuration. This dynamic design enables the table to maintain stability during patient support while allowing easy maneuvering and repositioning when needed, resolving the contradiction between structural rigidity and operational flexibility.
3Ease of operation
If hydraulic systems are used for table adjustment, then positioning capability is improved, but hydraulic system leaks occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hydraulic adjustment mechanisms with alternative positioning systems that eliminate fluid leakage risks. This substitution maintains the table's positioning and adjustment capabilities while removing the harmful factor of hydraulic leaks, achieving clean and reliable mechanical or electromechanical actuation instead of fluid-based systems.
4Ease of manufacture
If modular components are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced and adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The modular components are designed with universal interfaces and standardized connection mechanisms that allow the same basic modules to serve multiple functions and be configured in various arrangements. This universality reduces the overall number of unique parts needed, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining adaptability. The modular design enables cost-effective production through standardized manufacturing processes while the multi-functional nature of components offsets the apparent complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A system for supporting or positioning a patient before, during, or after a medical procedure can include a platform configured to support at least a portion of a patient. A support column can be positioned beneath the platform. A base can be positioned beneath the support column and configured to support the support column. The base can include at least one drive wheel configured to contact a ground surface and move the platform with respect to the ground surface. A drive assist user interface module can be operatively connected to the at least one drive wheel. The drive assist user interface module can be configured to permit an operator of the system to selectively control movement of the at least one drive wheel. The drive assist user interface module can be part of or be attached to an attachment that includes a plate having a top surface. In one configuration, the top surface of the plate can be configured to extend parallel with a top surface of the platform when the attachment is attached to the platform.