Surgical Tool Holder Segmentation for Sterilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical tools for orthopedic prostheses installation face challenges in sterilization due to complex mechanical devices with crevices and recesses that are difficult to clean, leading to potential disease transfer, and issues with tool orientation and stability during procedures, which can cause tissue trauma and complicate prosthetic implant insertion.
Innovation Solution
A surgical tool holder with a break-away feature that allows partial disassembly for easy cleaning and sterilization, featuring a tethered tool holder linkage that remains attached as a module, reducing the risk of lost parts and enabling precise tool orientation and stabilization during procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the surgical tool holder has a complex design with multiple components, then it can perform multiple functions during surgery, but it becomes difficult to clean and sterilize due to crevices and recesses
Solution Approach 1:
The tool holder is divided into separable components including a handle, a tool engagement mechanism, and a tool. The engagement mechanism can be detached from the handle to allow thorough cleaning and sterilization of each component separately, eliminating the problem of crevices in complex assembled structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool engagement mechanism is designed to be extractable from the handle assembly. This extraction capability allows the mechanism to be removed for separate sterilization processing, ensuring that all surfaces including internal crevices can be properly cleaned without disassembling the entire device.
2Ease of manufacture
If the surgical tool holder requires complete disassembly for sterilization, then all surfaces can be cleaned, but component parts may be lost or misplaced
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement mechanism is designed to nest within the handle assembly during normal use, yet can be easily extracted when needed for sterilization. The nested configuration allows compact storage while maintaining the ability to separate components for cleaning without risking loss of parts.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the surgical tool holder has limited access during procedures, then incision size is minimized, but it becomes difficult to maneuver and position the tool
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement mechanism incorporates a dynamic release system that allows the tool to be quickly secured or released from the handle. This dynamic capability enables the surgeon to efficiently maneuver and reposition the tool through a small incision without requiring large access openings, maintaining both minimal tissue trauma and operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical tool holder aids a surgeon in controlling the use of a tool during, for example, preparation of a femoral cavity for reception of hip joint prosthesis. The holder has a housing that encloses a mechanism having, at a far end, a tool-engaging interface, and at the opposite end, a handle which facilitates manipulation of the tool during use in preparing a bone site by the surgeon. The holder enables easy orientation of the tool attached to its end, which is important because control of the tool is critical in order to accurately prepare a recess for reception and installation of a prosthesis.