Surgical Tool Holder Interlocking Engagement Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical tool holders, such as swinger clamps, experience undesired slippage due to surface contamination, especially under high forces encountered during surgeries on morbidly obese patients, as they rely heavily on friction for fixation, which can be compromised by debris and residue.
Innovation Solution
A surgical tool holder with intermeshable teeth engagement portions that block rotation between components, providing a secure association without relying on friction, allowing for improved resistance to contamination and ensuring stable tool positioning even with incomplete cleaning or debris present.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If friction-based fixation is used between movable parts, then the device can be simple in structure, but the reliability decreases due to slippage caused by surface contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation interface is segmented into multiple discrete engagement points (teeth) distributed around the circumference, transforming a single friction-dependent contact into multiple geometric interlocking points. This segmentation allows the gripping member and holding member to engage through positive mechanical interlocking rather than relying on distributed friction across a continuous surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The friction-based mechanical fixation system is replaced with a gear-tooth-based positive engagement system. Instead of relying on friction forces to prevent slippage, the invention uses geometrically defined tooth profiles that mechanically interlock, substituting a friction-dependent mechanism with a geometry-dependent mechanism that is insensitive to surface contamination.
2Strength
If friction is used to maintain fixed position, then the device operation is simple, but the performance deteriorates under high forces due to contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the potentially harmful effect of surface contamination into a benign condition by designing a fixation mechanism that is inherently insensitive to surface conditions. The gear-tooth engagement relies on geometric interlocking rather than surface friction, so contamination that would normally harm friction-based systems becomes irrelevant to the fixation performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation mechanism transitions from relying on friction coefficient (a surface property sensitive to contamination) to relying on geometric parameters (tooth profile, engagement depth, circular pitch) that are inherent to the component geometry and unaffected by surface contamination. This parameter change fundamentally alters the dependency from surface conditions to dimensional accuracy.
3Stability of the object's composition
If engagement portions rely on friction, then the manufacturing is simpler, but the stability decreases under high forces
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous friction surface is segmented into discrete tooth elements, each contributing to the overall engagement stability. This segmentation allows the stability to be enhanced by increasing the number of engagement points around the circumference, providing redundant load paths and preventing slippage even if individual teeth experience contamination.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical tool holder that includes a holding member with a clamping jaw, which is movable between open and clamping positions. A gripping member is configured to supportingly grip a surgical tool and is selectively placed in a rotatable or fixed association with the holding member. Engagement portions of the holding member and gripping member are engagable to block rotation therebetween to obtain the fixed association.