Twisting Assembly for Rapid Tourniquet Tightening
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tourniquets face challenges in quick and easy application, particularly in emergency situations, and often suffer from breakages during use, which renders them ineffective.
Innovation Solution
A twisting assembly is provided, comprising a base part with a circular arrangement of teeth and a twisting part with a windlass portion, allowing for the efficient tightening of elongated flexible materials, such as tourniquet straps, by rotating the windlass portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional tourniquet design is used, then the device can be applied to restrict blood flow, but it suffers from breakages during use and requires significant time for proper application
Solution Approach 1:
The tourniquet is divided into distinct functional segments: a resilient body portion that provides cushioning, a separate twisting assembly with windlass and base, and a strap system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the body portion for comfort and reliability, the twisting assembly for rapid application, and the strap for secure fastening.
Solution Approach 2:
The twisting assembly introduces a dynamic tightening mechanism where the windlass rotates relative to the base to progressively tighten the strap. This dynamic system allows for rapid adjustment and secure fastening without requiring manual wrapping or complex fasteners, significantly reducing application time while maintaining reliability.
2Stress or pressure
If the tourniquet width is increased to reduce required pressure, then less pressure is needed to occlude the artery, but more torque is required to achieve occlusion and the device becomes harder to apply quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The body portion is designed with a curved, cushion-like geometry that distributes pressure evenly across the limb. This curved design provides mechanical advantage by leveraging the natural contours of the body, allowing effective occlusion with moderate pressure while maintaining ease of application.
Solution Approach 2:
The twisting assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user's manual input and the strap tensioning. The windlass and base configuration provides mechanical advantage, converting small rotational movements into significant strap tension, thereby reducing the torque required while achieving effective occlusion pressure.
3Device complexity
If a simpler tourniquet design is used to reduce complexity, then the device is easier to manufacture and understand, but it lacks the reliability needed to prevent breakages during use
Solution Approach 1:
The twisting assembly merges the tightening mechanism and locking function into a single integrated unit. The windlass rotates within the base, and the strap passes through both components, combining multiple functions (tightening, securing, and potential locking) into one cohesive assembly that reduces overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The body portion utilizes a flexible, resilient material that can be molded into a cushion shape. This flexible component provides both comfort and structural integrity, distributing forces evenly to prevent breakage at stress points while maintaining a simple overall design that is easy to manufacture.
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 twisting assembly enables rapid and secure tightening of tourniquets, reducing the time required for application and enhancing their reliability by minimizing breakages and ensuring consistent pressure application.
Implementation Method 1
the twisting part is adapted to cooperatively allow movement of the twisting part away from close engagement with the teeth of the base part to allow rotation of the twisting part in one rotational direction relative to the base part; and wherein the twisting part is adapted to cooperatively allow movement of the twisting part into close engagement with the teeth of the base part to prevent rotation of the twisting part in the opposite rotational direction relative to the base part
Data Source
AI summary
A twisting assembly (600, 900, 1000, or 1100) for tightening an elongated flexible material (100) including a base part (610, 910, 1010, or 1110) having a plurality of teeth (640, 940, 1040, or 1140) arranged in a circle; and a twisting part (650, 950, 1050, or 1150) adapted for rotating relative to the base part and the twisting part having a windlass portion (680, 980, 1080, or 1180). A portion of the elongated flexible material can be operatively connected to the windlass portion such that when the windlass portion is rotated, the portion of the material is twisted. The twisting assembly is adapted to allow movement of the twisting part away from close engagement with the teeth of the base part to allow rotation of the twisting part in one rotational direction relative to the base part. The twisting assembly is adapted to cooperatively allow movement of the twisting part into close engagement with the teeth of the base part to prevent rotation of the twisting part in the opposite rotational direction.