The present solution relates to surgical equipment and, more particularly, to a manually adjustable patient positioning device configured to be mounted to an operating table for use during orthopedic surgery.
A surgeon has need to manipulate the position and articulation of a patient's joint throughout an orthopedic surgery. Efficient and accurate manipulation of the joint, such as a knee, may not only reduce the duration of the surgery but also improve surgical results that lead to reduced patient recovery times. Consequently, various prior art solutions for manipulating a patient's joint during orthopedic surgery have come to market over the years.
Most of the prior art solutions are either electrically automated and/or cumbersome to actuate and/or must be used within the sterile field of the surgery. Electrically automated solutions, while usually very precise in joint positioning, are often complicated in their setup, require power supply access and cords (tripping hazard), and present opportunity for unintended manipulation of the patient's joint during surgery should the surgeon not be experienced with the electronic controls. Similarly, manual solutions known in the art are often cumbersome to use and inefficient for manipulating a patient's joint during surgery. And, patient positioning solutions that must be used within the sterile field of a surgery are generally not preferred by those of skill in the art because any instrument used with a sterile field of a surgery requires sterilization. As one of ordinary skill in the art would acknowledge, whenever possible in a surgical environment, it is desirable to use equipment configured to reside outside the sterile field of the surgery.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a manually adjustable patient positioning device that is not only intuitive and efficient to use, but is also configured to reside and be used outside the sterile field of a surgical environment.
Various embodiments, aspects and features of the present solution encompass a manually adjustable patient positioning device that is configured to reside and be used outside the sterile field of a surgical environment. An exemplary embodiment is constructed from stainless steel and/or other materials suitable for sterilization.
Embodiments of a manually adjustable patient positioning device that is configured to reside and be used outside the sterile field of a surgical environment according to the solution are not limited to the exemplary aspects and features described herein. Certain embodiments may include additional features, or different features, while other embodiments include alternative features. As a way of example, and not limitation, it is envisioned that some embodiments of the solution may be configured to include a padded lateral support plate that is positionable to impede lateral movement of a patient's knee, for example.
An exemplary embodiment of a manually adjustable patient positioning device comprises a pair of parallel guide rails, at least one anchor rail associated with the pair of parallel guide rails, and a carriage assembly slidably mounted to the pair of parallel guide rails. The carriage assembly comprises a cushion component, at least one anchor component configured to releasably engage with the at least one anchor rail, and an anchor lever. Actuation of the anchor lever operates to release the at least one anchor component from engagement with the at least one anchor rail such that the carriage assembly is operable to be repositioned along the parallel guide rails. The carriage assembly is operable for repositioning in one direction along the parallel guide rails without user actuation of the anchor lever.
The at least one anchor rail may comprise a plurality of notches in some embodiments (similar to a picatinny rail) to define a discrete number of possible positions for the carriage assembly. In other embodiments, the at least one anchor rail may comprise a flat engagement surface with the at least one anchor component comprising a friction generating component for engaging the flat engagement surface. Such embodiments may essentially provide an infinite number of possible positions for the carriage assembly.
The exemplary manually adjustable patient positioning device may include bearings between the carriage assembly and the pair of parallel guide rails to ease repositioning of the carriage assembly along the guide rails. In some embodiments, the bearings may be dry running bearings. The parallel guide rails may be nonconductive. The cushion component may be releasably mounted in the carriage assembly, depending on embodiment, and may take any useful shape including, but not limited to, a cylinder or a “dumbbell” shape.
In the exemplary embodiment, the guide rails, anchor rails and carriage assembly may all be mounted atop a base plate. The base plate may include one or more mounting arms positioned vertically to the base plate (or guide rails) and configured to be received into table brackets that are operable to secure the one or more mounting arms to mounting rails on the side of an operating table. In this way, the entire patient positioning device may be placed on an operating table and releasably secured in place for the duration of a surgical event.
In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise indicated. For reference numerals with letter character designations such as “102A” or “102B”, the letter character designations may differentiate two like parts or elements present in the same figure or different figures. Letter character designations for reference numerals may be omitted when it is intended that a reference numeral to encompass all parts having the same reference numeral in all figures.
Aspects, features and advantages of an exemplary embodiment of the present solution will become better understood with regard to the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing(s). It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the described embodiment of the present solution provided herein is illustrative only and not limiting, having been presented by way of example only. All features disclosed in this description may be replaced by alternative features serving the same or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Therefore, numerous other embodiments of the modifications thereof are contemplated as falling within the scope of the present solution as defined herein and equivalents thereto. Hence, use of absolute terms such as, for example, “will,” “will not,” “shall,” “shall not,” “must” and “must not,” if used, are not meant to limit the scope of the present solution as the embodiment disclosed herein is merely exemplary.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as exclusive, preferred or advantageous over other aspects.
In this description, an exemplary embodiment of the solution is shown and described within the context of an orthopedic knee replacement surgery. Beyond the general need to manipulate the position and angle of articulation of a patient's knee in such a surgery, it is unnecessary for the reader to understand further details of the surgical procedure itself in order to fully comprehend the nature and scope of the solution described in this specification and its accompanying drawings. Consequently, a full exposition of a typical orthopedic joint replacement surgery is not provided. Moreover, although the exemplary embodiment of the solution for a patient positioning device is shown and described within the context of a knee replacement surgery, it is envisioned that the exemplary embodiment, as well as variations thereof, may be used for other orthopedic surgeries such as, but not limited to, a hip replacement surgery, a ligament repair surgery, etc. and, as such, the scope of the solution is not limited in applicability to just knee replacement surgeries.
In this description, the terms “cushion component” and “footrest component” are essentially used interchangeably. Use of the more specific term “footrest component,” as opposed to the more general term “cushion component” will not be interpreted to mean that embodiments of the solution might be limited in applicability to interacting with a patient's person via a foot. Rather, the term “footrest component” is used for the benefit of the reader so that a description of an exemplary embodiment of the solution within the context of an orthopedic knee surgery may be easily followed, since in such a surgery the user may manipulate a patient's knee via adjustment of the patient's foot position. It will be understood that embodiments of the solution may be used in any number of different orthopedic surgical applications and, in doing so, the “cushion component” may be leveraged to interface with a patient's person via positional adjustment of body parts other than a foot.
As will become clearer from the following description and the associated drawings, embodiments of the solution are advantageously configured to reside outside of the sterile field of a surgery. Such a configuration is advantageous over prior art solutions since sterilization may not be mandatory between uses of a patient positioning device according to the solution.
Generally, and as will be more thoroughly disclosed below, embodiments of a patient positioning device according to the solution are configured for manual actuation and so may not require an electrical or pneumatic or hydraulic power source. Embodiments may include a pair of parallel guide rails mounted to a chassis with a carriage assembly slidably and movably mounted to the guide rails. A disposable/removable cushion component may be included in the carriage assembly and configured for interfacing with a patient's person (such as by receiving a patient's foot). As the position of the carriage assembly is translated up and down the guide rails, so too is the cushion component such that the patient's limb is manipulated in position and/or degree of articulation. In some embodiments, the guide rails may be non-conductive.
A cushion component 105 is mounted within a carriage. The particular cushion component 105 illustrated in the figures is in the form of a “dumbbell” and is particularly suited for receipt of a patient's foot. Other shapes for a cushion component 105 are envisioned. The carriage (will be shown and described in more detail in subsequent figures) is configured to mechanically engage with, and ride/slide along, guide rails 110 and may include dry running bearings, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art of bearings. Advantageously, dry running bearings may not require additional lubricant inappropriate or inconvenient in a surgical environment.
In the
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Advantageously, the position of the footrest component 105 may be adjusted along guides 110 as described above, which works to adjust the relative degree that the patient's knee is bent. To translate the position of the carriage 140/footrest 105, thereby manipulating the patient's knee when the patient's foot resides on the footrest component 105, a user disengages anchors 122 from the anchor rails 150 and slides the carriage 140 to a new position. Once in the new position, the anchors 122 may be reengaged with the anchor rails 150, thereby securely fixing the carriage 140 and associated footrest 105 in position.
In the exemplary embodiment shown in the figures, the anchor rails 150 include a series of notches that each define a position in which the carriage 140 may be locked via the anchors 122, as described above. The engagement of anchors 122 with a notch of anchor rails 150 may be best viewed in the
The carriage 140 may be mechanically locked in a position relative to guide rails 110 via anchors 122 that are configured to be received by notches in anchor rails 150. As can be seen in the illustrations, anchor rails 150 are positioned along and below guide rails 110. In the exemplary embodiment, anchor rails 150 are separate components from guide rails 110, although it is envisioned that in some embodiments anchor rails 150 and guide rails 110 may be integral. When the anchors 122 are engaged with a notch(es) of anchor rails 150, the carriage 140 may be fixed/locked in position. A user may disengage anchors 122 from notch(es) of the anchor rails 150 by actuating anchor lever 120. Anchor lever 120 is rotatably hinged to the carriage 140 at hinge point 121 and, therefore, actuation of anchor lever 120 may cause anchors 122 to “lift” and disengage from notches on anchor rails 150. Advantageously, with anchors 122 disengaged, the carriage 140 may be free to reposition anywhere along the guide rails 110.
Notably, the anchor 122 engages the notch of anchor rail 150A at an angle toward the distal end of the device 100 (i.e., toward the foot of operating table 112—see illustrations in
In the
In the
As illustrated in the figures, the exemplary embodiment of the solution for a patient positioning device is configured to translate the position of the carriage 140 (and, by extension, the position a patient's limb) to any of a number of discrete positions defined by the notches of the anchor rails 150. It is envisioned, however, that other embodiments of the solution may essentially offer an infinite position adjustment of the carriage 140. In such embodiments, the anchor rails may not include a series of notches but, rather, provide a consistent and substantially flat positioning surface.
Turning now to the
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Systems, devices and methods for a patient positioning device have been described using detailed descriptions of embodiments thereof that are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. The described embodiments comprise different features, not all of which are required in all embodiments of a patient positioning device. Some embodiments of a patient positioning device utilize only some of the features or possible combinations of the features. Variations of embodiments of a patient positioning device that are described and embodiments of a patient positioning device comprising different combinations of features noted in the described embodiments will occur to persons of the art.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that systems, devices and methods for the provision of a patient positioning device is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described herein above. Rather, the scope of systems, devices and methods for the provision of a patient positioning device is defined by the claims that follow.
This claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. provisional application entitled “PATIENT POSITIONING DEVICE,” filed on Aug. 28, 2020 and assigned application Ser. No. 63/071,551, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63071551 | Aug 2020 | US |