Suspended Radiation Protection System with Counterbalancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current personal radiation protection systems for medical professionals are cumbersome, restrictive, and often compromise sterility, failing to provide adequate protection and comfort due to their weight and design, which limits the operator's freedom of motion and increases exposure to radiation.
Innovation Solution
A suspended personal radiation protection system that includes a contouring garment supported by a frame connected to a suspension system, such as jib cranes or articulating arms, with a binding mechanism like a ball-and-cup system for secure attachment and detachment without losing sterility, and adjustable components like a configurable face shield and lighting, allowing for improved mobility and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a personal radiation protection garment is worn to protect operators from scattered radiation, then radiation protection is improved, but the garment weight increases causing operator fatigue and restricted movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the counterweight principle by introducing a suspension system with counterbalancing mechanisms that offset the weight of the radiation protection garment. The system includes a suspension component connected to the garment and a counterweight mechanism that balances the garment weight, reducing the effective weight borne by the operator and eliminating operator fatigue while maintaining full radiation protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a suspension system as an intermediary between the radiation protection garment and the operator's body. This suspension component acts as a mediator that supports the garment weight and transmits minimal force to the operator, allowing the garment to remain in place without requiring the operator to bear its full weight, thus resolving the contradiction between protection and mobility.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional radiation protection garment is designed to provide comprehensive coverage, then radiation protection is improved, but the garment restricts operator freedom of motion and comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by designing a suspension system that is itself dynamic and adaptable. The suspension component includes adjustable elements and flexible connections that allow the garment to move freely with the operator's body movements. The system transitions from a static, restrictive garment to a dynamic system that adapts to operator motion, maintaining radiation protection while enabling complete freedom of movement.
3Ease of operation
If a radiation protection garment is designed with traditional entry mechanisms, then ease of entry is improved, but sterility is compromised during medical procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by separating the entry mechanism from the main garment body and designing it as a distinct, sterile-accessible component. The entry mechanism is segmented into sterile and non-sterile zones, allowing operators to don and doff the garment without breaking sterility in the critical medical procedure areas. This segmented design enables easy entry while maintaining sterility during procedures.
4Ease of operation
If a suspended radiation protection system is implemented to reduce operator fatigue, then operator comfort is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible shells and thin films by using flexible, lightweight suspension components and thin-film counterweight mechanisms that provide the necessary support and balance without adding significant complexity. The flexible nature of these components allows them to conform to the operator's movements while maintaining simplicity in design and operation, thus improving comfort without substantially increasing device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
An improved personal radiation protection system that substantially contours to an operator's body is suspended from a suspension system. The garment is operable to protect the operator from radiation. The suspension system is operable to provide constant support and allows the operator to move freely in the X, Y and Z planes simultaneously, such that the protective garment, face shield, or other attachments integrated into the system are substantially weightless to the operator and move in substantial concert with the operator during operation. A binding system allows the operator to easily engage and disengage from the system.