Vacuum-Conforming Medical Drape for Sterile Device Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Medical devices, such as endoscopic camera heads, are not sterilizable and maintaining sterility with conventional drapes is cumbersome, leading to infection risks and reduced device lifespan due to repeated sterilizations.

Innovation Solution

A drape system with a vacuum manifold that conforms to the medical device by applying vacuum, ensuring sterility and accessibility of user interfaces while minimizing drape material obstruction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional drapes are used to cover non-sterilizable medical devices, then sterility is maintained, but device accessibility and graspability deteriorate due to excess drape material

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesterility maintenanceVSAvoiddevice accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a flexible drape made of thin film material that can be vacuum-formed to conform precisely to the contours of the medical device. This flexible shell approach allows the drape to maintain sterility while eliminating excess material that would otherwise obstruct device access and manipulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical state and form of the drape by applying vacuum pressure, transforming it from a loose, excess-material state to a tightly-conformed state that matches the device contours. This parameter change (from loose to conforming) resolves the contradiction between sterility coverage and device accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If multiple sterilized medical devices are kept on hand, then infection risk is reduced, but cost and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinfection risk reductionVSAvoidnumber of devices required

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a sterile drape as an intermediary barrier between the non-sterile medical device and the sterile surgical field. This mediator allows a single device to be reused multiple times without requiring multiple sterilized devices, thereby reducing the quantity of devices needed while maintaining infection risk reduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs disposable sterile drapes that can be applied to non-sterilizable devices for single-use procedures. This approach allows reuse of expensive medical devices while using inexpensive single-use drapes, reducing the need to maintain multiple sterilized devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Reliability

If repeated sterilizations are performed on medical devices, then sterility is maintained, but device lifespan decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesterility maintenanceVSAvoiddevice lifespan

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The sterile drape acts as a protective intermediary that allows the medical device to be used in sterile procedures without direct exposure to sterilization processes. This eliminates repeated sterilization cycles that would otherwise degrade sensitive components and reduce device lifespan.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The sterile properties are effectively 'copied' from the sterilized drape to the non-sterile device through the draping process. This allows the device to function as if it were sterilized without actually undergoing sterilization, preserving its lifespan.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

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

Enhances graspability and accessibility of medical devices, reduces slippage, and decreases reprocessing time, allowing reuse without significant usability loss.

Implementation Method 1

a vacuum manifold that, when the flexible drape material is cinched, is positioned at least partially within the enclosed space for creating a vacuum in the enclosed space to cause the flexible drape material to conform to the at least a portion of the medical device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Data Source

PatentUS12551308B2Systems and methods for draping a medical device

Publication Date: 2026.02.17 STRYKER CORP

AI summary

A drape for a medical device, the drape including a flexible drape material for covering at least a portion of a medical device and configured to be cinched in at least one location to form an enclosed space for enclosing the at least a portion of the medical device, and a vacuum manifold that, when the flexible drape material is cinched, is positioned at least partially within the enclosed space for creating a vacuum in the enclosed space to cause the flexible drape material to conform to the at least a portion of the medical device when the at least a portion of the medical device is positioned within the enclosed space.