Tray Support Arm Assembly with Lockable Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tray support systems in medical settings, such as ophthalmic surgical consoles, lack the flexibility and adjustability to accommodate patients and surgeons of all sizes, and do not allow for easy positioning of trays by either right- or left-handed healthcare professionals, limiting their usability and accessibility during various surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A tray support arm assembly with a combination of lockable joints and a gas spring system that allows for horizontal and vertical orientation adjustments, enabling the tray to be positioned over patients without obstructing the surgical area, and can be easily stored vertically alongside the console, with mechanisms to prevent accidental dumping of instruments and supplies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the tray support system uses fixed positioning, then the structure is simple and stable, but it cannot accommodate patients and surgeons of all sizes or allow easy repositioning
Solution Approach 1:
The tray support system employs multiple articulating joints with locking mechanisms that enable dynamic repositioning. The arm assembly includes a shoulder joint, elbow joint, and wrist joint, each capable of being locked at various angles to accommodate different surgical scenarios, patient sizes, and surgeon preferences while maintaining stability during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arm is divided into multiple segments (upper arm, lower arm, wrist assembly) connected by independent joints. This segmentation allows each segment to be adjusted and locked independently, providing versatile positioning capability without requiring a completely complex monolithic structure.
2Ease of operation
If the tray is positioned over the patient's head, then instruments are within easy reach of the surgeon, but the tray may obstruct the surgical area or be difficult to access for left-handed professionals
Solution Approach 1:
The wrist joint and elbow joint enable dynamic repositioning of the tray from a fixed overhead position to various lateral positions. This allows right-handed and left-handed surgeons to access instruments comfortably, and permits the tray to be moved out of the surgical field when necessary, while maintaining ease of access during procedures.
3Ease of operation
If the tray support arm is made lightweight for easy manipulation, then it is easier to reposition, but it may be less stable and more prone to accidental movement
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanisms at each joint are designed to be self-latching, requiring minimal force to engage and disengage. The sprag clamps automatically lock when the arm is positioned and the locking lever is released, providing stability without requiring heavy structural support. The system serves itself by maintaining its position through the self-locking feature rather than requiring continuous active support.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas spring provides counterbalancing force to offset the weight of the tray and arm assembly, reducing the effort required to reposition the tray while maintaining stability when locked. The spring acts as a counterweight system that assists manipulation without compromising the stability provided by the locking mechanisms.
4Reliability
If multiple locking mechanisms are used to prevent accidental movement, then stability is improved, but the device becomes more complex and harder to operate
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple locking mechanisms (sprag clamps at the shoulder joint, elbow joint, and wrist joint) are merged into a single integrated locking lever system. Actuating this one lever simultaneously engages or disengages all three sprag clamps, providing reliable prevention of accidental movement while maintaining simple operation through a single control point.
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 tray support arm assembly provides versatile and ergonomic positioning of instruments and supplies, ensuring they are within easy reach of healthcare professionals, accommodating different surgical procedures and patient sizes, while maintaining stability and preventing accidental drops.
Implementation Method 1
a tray support arm assembly with a combination of lockable joints and a gas spring system
Data Source
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AI summary
A tray support arm assembly provides for the positioning of a tray and an attached movable arm in a substantially horizontal orientation with respect to the console portion of a machine for use and a substantially vertical orientation with respect to the console portion of a machine for storage. The tray support arm assembly includes a lockable tray rotation joint, a lockable wrist joint, a lower arm assembly, a lockable elbow joint, an upper assembly and a lockable shoulder joint.