Tether-Actuated Medical Drape for Sterile Field Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical procedures in extreme conditions such as battlefield environments, forest fires, or dust storms face challenges in maintaining sterility due to contamination from undefined particulate matter in the ambient atmosphere, and existing solutions require complex mechanisms dependent on hand proximity.
Innovation Solution
A flexible drape solution with a tether-based actuation mechanism that is independent of hand proximity, integrated into a medical drape, allowing easy coverage and uncoverage of the surgical area, and can be carried in a sterile package for field use, conforming to the patient's body for unobstructed access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a fixed design support structure with proximity-based opening mechanism is used, then atmospheric contamination is limited at the surgical area, but the device complexity increases and portability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the support structure from the drape system, allowing the fenestration cover to be suspended only by tethers without fixed mechanical support. This removes complex proximity-based opening mechanisms while maintaining the ability to limit atmospheric contamination through simple tether tensioning and release.
Solution Approach 2:
The drape system is designed as a disposable single-use item with simple tether-based actuation rather than complex reusable mechanical mechanisms. This reduces device complexity and cost while effectively limiting atmospheric contamination during surgical procedures.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a fixed design support structure with opening mechanism is used, then atmospheric contamination is limited, but the ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the fixed support structure and proximity-based automatic opening mechanism, the invention simplifies operation to manual tether tensioning and release. This extraction of complex mechanisms actually improves ease of operation through direct manual control while maintaining contamination protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The fenestration cover automatically returns to the closed position when tether tension is released, utilizing the elastic recovery of the tether material. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex closing mechanisms while maintaining ease of operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a fixed design support structure is used, then the fenestration can be covered, but the adaptability to patient's body contour is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses flexible drape material and thin tether elements that can conform to the patient's body contour. The fenestration cover suspended by tethers can adapt to irregular body surfaces while maintaining the sterile barrier function, unlike rigid fixed support structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The tether-based suspension system allows the fenestration cover to dynamically adjust and conform to the patient's body shape, providing adaptability while maintaining sterility. The flexible tethers enable the cover to move and reshape according to body contours.
4Ease of operation
If a tether-based actuation mechanism integrated into the drape is used, then the ease of operation is improved and portability is enhanced, but the reliability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drape system is designed as a disposable single-use item, eliminating the need for complex cleaning and sterilization protocols. This ensures reliability of sterility maintenance while allowing simple tether-based manual actuation without concern for mechanism contamination between uses.
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
The solution effectively reduces contamination by providing a simple, flexible, and practical means to cover and uncover the surgical area, maintaining sterility while allowing easy access and being easily transportable and disposable, without relying on complex support structures or electrical components.
Implementation Method 1
attached via elastic filaments or cords (2b) to a top or bottom sheet (1, 3)
Implementation Method 2
a non-elastic filament or cord (2c) is attached to an opposite side of the cover sheet (2)
Data Source
AI summary
A simple and flexible drape arrangement is by provided including a cover and associated actuation mechanism to selectively cover and uncover a fenestration, the cover is coupled to a medical drape and the fenestration cover is under tension due to elastic filaments and operated via a tether that can be operated by mechanical or manual actuation, where neither of these methods, are dependent on the distance proximity of a medical practitioner's hands. The drape arrangement can also be attached to an existing fenestrated drape that can be easily carried in a sterile package in a field backpack. The drape arrangement conforms to a patient's body to permit the medical practitioner normal access to the body area.