Surgical tables
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical tables require adjustments and compensatory movements when applying Trendelenburg or reverse Trendelenburg movements, leading to inefficiencies and repositioning of surgical sites, as they rotate around a fixed axis that may not align with the surgical site, necessitating additional adjustments to maintain optimal surgical conditions.
Innovation Solution
A surgical table design featuring a mechanism with a movable trend frame and actuator system that allows independent control of the trend angle and height, enabling the tabletop to tilt and trend around orthogonal axes, with actuators that can rotate the trend frame relative to the column, minimizing the need for compensatory movements and allowing precise positioning of the surgical site.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed axis of rotation is used for tabletop rotation, then the structure is simple and stable, but the surgical site position translates in 3-D space during Trendelenburg movement requiring re-adjustment of apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the rotation axis movable rather than fixed. The column can be positioned at different locations along the tabletop's length, allowing the axis of rotation to dynamically adapt to the surgical site position. This resolves the contradiction by enabling the system to maintain surgical site stability (improving reliability) while using a relatively simple mechanism structure (avoiding excessive complexity).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the tabletop into multiple sections that can be independently positioned and rotated. This allows different portions of the tabletop to be optimized for different surgical needs, with the rotation axis可 positioned to serve specific surgical sites without affecting other areas, thus maintaining stability while managing complexity through modular design.
2Device complexity
If the rotation axis is positioned above the column, then the structure is simplified, but the surgical site is not above the column requiring compensatory movements
Solution Approach 1:
The column's position along the tabletop is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. This allows the rotation axis to be positioned optimally relative to the surgical site, improving ease of operation without significantly complicating the overall mechanism. The dynamic repositioning capability enables the simple structural design to adapt to different surgical configurations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If Trendelenburg movement is applied with a fixed rotation axis below the surgical site, then the tabletop can be tilted, but the surgical site position translates requiring re-adjustment of table height
Solution Approach 1:
By making the column position dynamically adjustable, the system can pre-position the rotation axis optimally for upcoming Trendelenburg movements. This reduces or eliminates the need for time-consuming re-adjustments during procedures, while still providing the full range of tilt angles needed for versatile surgical positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical table having a tabletop to be rotatable about a trend axis, the trend axis extending in a transverse direction across the tabletop; and an actuator mechanism coupled to the movable framework and arranged to raise and lower the movable framework relative to the column and to raise and lower the trend axis and to rotate the movable framework about the trend axis, and a control mechanism arranged to control the actuator mechanism to cause (i) the height of the trend axis to be translationally variable within a first dimensional range having a lowermost position, at which the trend axis extends through the column, and an uppermost position, at which the trend axis is above the upper end of the column the trend axis and is spaced at spacing height above the upper end of the column, and, simultaneously and/or independently (ii) the location of the trend axis in a lateral direction orthogonal to the trend axis to be translationally variable within a second dimensional range extending between first and second end positions.