Surgical Table Flexible Inner Frame Rigid Outer Base
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical tables are cumbersome, expensive, and inefficient due to their large size and complex mechanical arrangements, which hinder flexible patient positioning and access to multiple surgical sites from different angles.
Innovation Solution
A surgical table design featuring a base with pitch/roll assemblies that maintain coaxial alignment, allowing the patient support to roll and pitch without excessive base movement, with an articulating inner frame relative to a rigid outer frame, enabling a wide range of patient positions while minimizing floor space and reducing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional surgical tables use complex mechanical arrangements to enable patient positioning, then patient positioning capability is improved, but device complexity increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical table is divided into two functional frames: a rigid outer frame that provides structural support and maintains stability, and a flexible inner frame that enables patient positioning movements. This segmentation allows each frame to specialize in its function, reducing overall mechanical complexity while maintaining positioning capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the rigid outer frame and flexible inner frame into a single integrated patient support structure, where the inner frame is supported by the outer frame. This merging allows the system to achieve both stability and flexibility without requiring separate complex mechanical systems
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional surgical tables provide adjustable positions for multiple surgical sites, then adaptability is improved, but floor space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical table uses dynamic pitch and roll movements of the patient support relative to the base, enabled by pitch/roll assemblies with coaxial roll axes. This dynamic positioning capability allows access to multiple surgical sites without requiring a large table footprint, as the entire table structure does not need to be oversized to accommodate various positions
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional surgical tables enable patient movement to different positions, then adaptability is improved, but base movement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the patient support structure into an inner frame for movement and an outer frame for stability. The inner frame can articulate relative to the outer frame, allowing patient positioning while the outer frame remains stable on the base. This is further enhanced by the pitch/roll assemblies that maintain coaxial alignment during movements
Solution Approach 2:
The outer frame acts as an intermediary between the base and the inner frame, absorbing and managing the movements required for patient positioning. The pitch/roll assemblies serve as intermediaries that enable controlled articulation while maintaining coaxial roll axis alignment, preventing excessive base movement
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical table comprising a base and a patient support supported between opposed ends of the base, each opposed end including a pitch/roll assembly. The base is configured such that the patient support can be rolled and pitched relative to the opposed ends via the pitch/roll assemblies such that the roll axis of each pitch/roll assembly remains coaxial regardless of how the patient support is pitched or rolled relative to the base. The patient support includes an outer frame and an inner frame supported on, and displaceable relative to, the outer frame. The inner frame is further articulating about, and relative to, itself. The outer frame is rigid in that it does not change configurations.