Telescoping Medical Tool Handle with Adjustable Guide Sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical tool systems face challenges in achieving a wide range of distance adjustments between the tool tip and the surgeon's hand with simple designs and minimal components, while minimizing lateral guidance issues and patient stress, and often require complex and time-consuming coupling processes.
Innovation Solution
A handle with a manually operable telescoping mechanism featuring axially spaced indentations and a spring-loaded locking sleeve, allowing for adjustable length settings and secure locking, which simplifies the connection between the tool and handle, and a set of handles with varying guide sleeve lengths to achieve multiple distance settings without increasing wear or stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a telescoping mechanism with multiple retaining balls and spring-loaded locking is used, then the adjustment range and ease of operation are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telescoping mechanism is segmented into discrete axial positions marked by notches on the extension shaft, allowing the tool to be locked at specific intervals rather than requiring continuous adjustment control
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded locking sleeve automatically engages retaining balls with notches when the extension shaft reaches a locked position, eliminating the need for manual intervention to secure each position
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple tools with different shaft lengths are used to achieve distance adjustment, then the adjustment range is improved, but the handling time and switching complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The extension shaft provides dynamic length adjustment within a single tool, replacing the static approach of swapping between multiple tools of different fixed lengths
Solution Approach 2:
A single tool with telescoping capability performs the function previously requiring multiple tools of different lengths, making the tool system more universal
3Adaptability or versatility
If a long radially unguided area of the tool shaft is created when the tool protrudes far beyond the guide sleeve, then the adjustment range is improved, but the wear and patient stress increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide sleeve provides preliminary radial guidance and support for the tool shaft before the tool tip engages the patient, preventing excessive wear and stress by ensuring proper alignment from the outset
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables easy and secure adjustment of the tool's length with minimal components, reducing the number of handling steps and minimizing wear and patient stress, while allowing for a wide range of distance settings with a set of tools of identical shaft lengths, enhancing operational safety and simplifying storage and handling.
Implementation Method 1
a spring-loaded locking sleeve (11) comprising the holding balls (10) and which can be operated manually is formed, the inner diameter of which changes in the axial direction, with a smaller diameter pressing the or each holding ball (10) into a notch (7c) in the extension shaft (7)
Data Source
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AI summary
A medical tool system consists of a handle (1, 1a) that can be coupled to one tool (2) from a set of tools with different distal end designs (2a) but identical dimensions and designs for the connecting shaft (2b) and proximal end (2c). The proximal end (2c) of the tool is detachably clamped in a receiving mechanism (8) in the handle (1, 1a) and can be rotated by means of a rotary drive (4) that includes the receiving mechanism (8). Furthermore, the handle (1, 1a) has a distal guide sleeve (9, 9a) for the shaft (2b) of the tool (2). According to the invention, the tool system also includes a set of handles (1, 1a) with different lengths of the guide sleeve (9, 9a), wherein the position of the receiving mechanism (8) for the tool (8) relative to the distal end (9b) of the guide sleeve (9, 9a) is at the same longitudinal position for each handle (1, 1a).