Patient Support Apparatus with Virtual Pivot-Shift Pelvic Pads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical support structures are not adequately flexible or portable, often obstructing imaging equipment and requiring complex mechanisms to maintain patient access and positioning, leading to potential spinal compression and interruption of surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A patient support apparatus with a dual-column base and open frame design that allows for adjustable positioning of the patient's head, upper body, and limbs in multiple planes, enabling tilting, rotation, and angulation without massive counterbalancing structures, and includes fail-safe connections to prevent accidental disconnection and ensure patient safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional surgical support structures are used to maintain patient positioning, then patient stability is improved, but device complexity and obstruction of imaging equipment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patient support apparatus is divided into multiple independent segments including a head support portion, trunk support portion, and leg support portion that can be individually adjusted and positioned. Each segment can be independently manipulated to achieve optimal patient positioning without requiring complex integrated mechanisms, thereby maintaining stability while reducing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus employs dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow the support surfaces to be repositioned during surgical procedures. The head support, trunk support, and leg support can be independently tilted, rotated, and angulated to accommodate different surgical positions and imaging requirements, providing adaptability without requiring massive counterbalancing structures.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex mechanisms are used to maintain patient access and positioning, then patient positioning precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system is segmented into independent control zones for the head, trunk, and legs, each with its own adjustment mechanisms. This allows surgical personnel to operate on individual segments rather than managing a complex integrated system, simplifying operation while maintaining precise positioning capability for each body region.
Solution Approach 2:
Each support portion (head, trunk, leg) is equipped with localized adjustment mechanisms tailored to the specific positioning needs of that body region. The head support has independent tilting and rotation capabilities, the trunk support provides separate angulation control, and the leg support offers independent positioning, allowing precise local adjustment without requiring complex global mechanisms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If radiolucent materials are used for patient support structure, then imaging compatibility is improved, but structural strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patient support apparatus utilizes composite construction combining radiolucent materials (such as carbon fiber or specialized polymers) with strategically placed radiopaque components for imaging reference. The primary support structures are made from radiolucent materials to allow unobstructed imaging, while critical connection points and safety mechanisms incorporate radiopaque elements that provide both structural reinforcement and imaging visibility when needed.
Data Source
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AI summary
A patient support apparatus for supporting a patient in a prone position during a surgical procedure includes a patient support structure incorporating an open fixed frame suspended above a floor and a pair of spaced opposed radially sliding joints cooperating with the frame, each joint including a virtual pivot point and an arc of motion spaced from the pivot point, the joints being movable along the arc providing a pivot-shift mechanism for a pair of pelvic pads attached to the joints. A base supports and suspends the patient support structure above the floor, for supporting a patient during a surgical procedure, the base including a pair of spaced opposed vertical translation subassemblies reversibly attachable to the support structure, a cross-bar, and a rotation subassembly having two degrees of rotational freedom; wherein a location of each vertical translation subassembly is substantially constant during operation of the patient support structure.