Viscoelastic Tool Holder Assembly for Surgical Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical instruments used for resecting bone tissue often experience significant vibrations during operation, which can lead to reduced precision and increased user fatigue due to the transfer of motor-induced vibrations through the tool handle.
Innovation Solution
An attachment assembly is designed to couple with the surgical tool, incorporating a damping member and adjustable features such as bore diameter, length, and angle, which includes a collet with gears to transfer torque while minimizing vibrations by using viscoelastic polymers and strategically placed thicknesses to absorb kinetic energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a motorized instrument is used to resect bone tissue, then the resection capability and productivity are improved, but significant vibrations are generated that reduce precision and increase user fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an attachment assembly as an intermediary component between the motor and the surgical tool. This assembly includes damping members and stiffness modification features that act as mediators to filter and reduce vibrations while still transmitting the necessary torque for bone resection, thereby maintaining productivity while improving precision
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment assembly utilizes composite construction combining rigid components (for torque transmission) with damping materials (for vibration reduction). This composite approach allows the system to simultaneously achieve the structural integrity needed for motorized resection and the vibration damping properties needed for surgical precision
2Productivity
If a motorized instrument is used to resect bone tissue, then the resection capability is improved, but user fatigue increases due to vibration transfer through the handle
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment assembly serves as a mediator between the vibration source (motor) and the user (through the handle). By placing damping members within this intermediary structure, vibrations are attenuated before reaching the user, reducing fatigue while maintaining the motorized resection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful vibration component from the system by introducing damping members that selectively absorb and dissipate vibrational energy, while allowing the useful torque transmission function to continue uninterrupted through the attachment assembly
3Measurement precision
If the attachment assembly includes stiffness modification and damping features, then vibration reduction is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: rigid elements for torque transmission, damping members for vibration reduction, and stiffness modification features. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together as an integrated system, achieving vibration reduction without excessive overall complexity
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 solution effectively reduces tool tip vibrations and chatter, enhancing the precision of surgical procedures and reducing user fatigue by dampening vibrations through the use of viscoelastic materials and optimized attachment assembly designs.
Implementation Method 1
The attachment may include stiffness modification and/or damping features such as damping members, thicknesses, and the like to minimize and/or reduce vibration at a tool tip and caused by the tool felt and received by a user
Implementation Method 2
The attachment may include stiffness modification and/or damping features such as damping members... to minimize and/or reduce vibration at a tool tip
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an assembly for holding a tool. The assembly may selectively reduce and/or eliminate vibrations received and felt by a user. Reducing vibrations may reduce or eliminate chatter at a working end of a tool.