Universal Joint Assembly for Angled Surgical Drilling Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current universal joint assemblies in the medical field face challenges in accessing and adjusting surgical tools to various angles, particularly in hip replacement surgeries where precise positioning and high RPMs are required, often leading to difficulties in drilling pilot holes and placing screws due to limited accessibility and risk of damaging soft tissues.
Innovation Solution
A universal joint assembly featuring a socket with a ball and pin configuration, where the ball has an elongated opening allowing rotation about two axes, coupled with a spring mechanism for biasing the ball, enabling the surgical tool to be angled and adjusted in multiple dimensions, and a rigid drive shaft for precise control and high RPM operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a universal joint assembly uses a traditional ball and socket configuration, then the tool can be adjusted to various angles, but the accessibility and precision for drilling pilot holes and placing screws is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The universal joint assembly incorporates a dynamic ball and socket mechanism that allows the surgical tool to be adjusted to various angles during the procedure. The ball (120) rotates within the socket (110) on multiple axes, providing adaptability while maintaining precision through the elastic mechanism's biasing force that stabilizes the joint position during drilling operations
2Productivity
If the surgical tool operates at high RPMs, then productivity is improved, but the risk of damaging soft tissues increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic mechanism (160) with spring (161) provides a biasing force that controls the operational parameters of the universal joint. This mechanism allows the tool to operate at high RPMs for improved productivity while the spring's restoring force helps maintain precise control and reduces the risk of tissue damage by preventing excessive deviation from the intended drilling path
3Stability of the object's composition
If the universal joint assembly uses a rigid structure, then stability is improved, but the ease of operation for angle adjustment is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The universal joint assembly uses a dynamic ball and socket configuration where the ball (120) can rotate freely within the socket (110) on multiple axes, providing ease of operation for angle adjustment. The elastic mechanism (160) with spring (161) provides a biasing force that maintains joint stability during operation, resolving the contradiction between rigidity and adjustability
4Manufacturing precision
If the opening in the ball is narrow, then the pin fit is precise, but the ease of manufacture is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The opening (122) in the ball (120) has specific dimensional parameters that are optimized to provide precise pin fit while remaining manufacturable. The opening's width and length are controlled within defined tolerances, allowing for precise pin reception without requiring excessively complex manufacturing processes
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 universal joint assembly allows for improved accessibility and precise angle adjustment of surgical tools, reducing the risk of tissue damage and enhancing control during surgeries like hip replacements by enabling the tool to be oriented at various angles and operated at high RPMs, facilitating accurate pilot hole drilling and screw placement.
Implementation Method 1
The elastic mechanism is configured to exert a bias force on the ball in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the device in a direction from the elastic mechanism towards the ball
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A surgical tool including a socket having a housing and an aperture within the housing, the socket configured to receive a ball and a pin at least partially in the aperture. The ball is positioned at least partially in the socket and configured to rotate within the socket, the ball comprising an elongated opening extending through the ball. The pin is coupled to the socket and disposed at least partially in the socket on opposite sides of the socket, the pin including a first longitudinal axis and extending through the elongated opening of the ball between opposite sides of the socket. The ball is configured to partially rotate about the first longitudinal axis of the pin, and partially rotate, about a second axis perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis of the pin, in a plane aligned with the elongated opening.