Surgical Table Bed Leveling with Contoured Spacers

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Solution Overview

Problem

During surgical procedures, patients are often positioned on uneven surfaces due to the use of medical devices like energy emitting devices, leading to discomfort and potential medical complications.

Innovation Solution

A bed leveling system for surgical tables, comprising an energy emitting device and spacers that create a level surface, with the spacers being contoured to match the geometry of the device and detachably coupled, providing a continuous and stable support for the patient.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If an energy emitting device is positioned on the surgical table platform to track treatment probe location, then tracking precision is improved, but the patient comfort deteriorates due to uneven surface

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetracking precisionVSAvoidpatient discomfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A spacer is introduced as an intermediary element between the energy emitting device and the patient's body. The spacer has a thickness that compensates for the height of the energy emitting device, creating a substantially flush surface that maintains both tracking precision and patient comfort during the surgical procedure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a spacer is added to level the surface for patient comfort, then patient comfort is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepatient discomfortVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The leveling system is segmented into separate, modular components including the spacer and the energy emitting device. This allows the spacer to be independently positioned and adjusted to achieve the desired flush surface without complicating the overall system design or requiring integration of leveling mechanisms into the energy emitting device itself

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3207876B1Bed leveling systems for a surgical table
Publication Date: 2019.04.17 COVIDIEN LP
  • EP3207876B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3207876B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3207876B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

A bed leveling system for a surgical table, which incorporates a platform adapted for a patient to lie down upon, comprising: an energy emitting device configured and dimensioned to be positioned on a platform of a surgical table; and a first spacer configured to be positioned on a platform of a surgical table to support a portion of a patient's body, the first spacer having a thickness such that a top surface of the first spacer is substantially flush with a top surface of the energy emitting device when disposed adjacent the energy emitting device on a platform of a surgical table.