Brake assembly for medical device support system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10835346-B2
Application number	US-201916517703-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2019
Priority date	Jul 25, 2018
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A medical device support system including a central shaft; an extension arm; and a brake assembly. The extension arm has a support for a medical device and a hub at its proximal end mounted to the central shaft for pivotable movement about the central shaft. The brake assembly is secured in the hub for rotation therewith and includes first and second discrete arc shape clamp pieces that are detachably coupled to one another at one end for flexural movement relative to a coupling joint and that are free at an opposite end. The brake assembly includes an actuator configured to flex the first and second clamp pieces relative to the coupling joint toward and away from each other to respectively increase and decrease a frictional braking force to the central shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medical device support system, comprising:
a central shaft;
an extension arm having a support for a medical device and a hub at its proximal end mounted to the central shaft for pivotable movement about the central shaft; and,
a brake assembly secured in the hub for rotation therewith and including first and second discrete arc shape clamp pieces that are detachably coupled to one another at one end to form a coupling joint for flexural movement of the first and second clamp pieces relative to the coupling joint and that are free at an opposite end;
wherein the brake assembly includes an actuator configured to flex the first and second clamp pieces relative to the coupling joint toward and away from each other to respectively increase and decrease a frictional braking force to the central shaft.

2. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second arc shape clamp pieces form a multi-piece split collar around the central shaft that is configured to contract and expand relative to the central shaft in response to flexural movement of the first and second arc shape clamp pieces relative to the coupling joint.

3. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein when the first and second clamp pieces are flexed toward each other to increase the frictional braking force to the central shaft, the first and second clamp pieces have an arc shape contact with the outer periphery of the central shaft.

4. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the brake assembly is configured to operate in a passive manner, preventing motion of the extension arm relative to the central shaft by means of the frictional braking force, wherein the frictional braking force can be overcome by a user pushing on the extension arm.

5. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second arc shape clamp pieces are diametrically opposed from one another on opposite sides of the central shaft.

6. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the medical device is a surgical light.

7. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second arc shape clamp pieces include respective liners made of a material selected from polyolefins, polyesters, acetals, polyamides, fluorinated polymers, vinyls, acrylics, polycarbonates, polyimides, polysulphones, and blends and alloys thereof.

8. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second arc shape clamp pieces include unreinforced, semi-crystalline thermoplastic polyester based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET-P).

9. The medical device support system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second arc shape clamp pieces include respective first and second polymer liners made of UHMW-PE.

10. A brake assembly for a medical device support system having a central shaft, the brake assembly comprising:
first and second discrete arc shape clamp pieces that are detachably coupled to one another at one end to form a coupling joint for flexural movement of the first and second clamp pieces relative to the coupling joint and that are free at an opposite end,
wherein the first and second arc shape clamp pieces are configured to flex relative to the coupling joint toward and away from each other to respectively increase and decrease a frictional braking force to the central shaft.

11. The brake assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first and second arc shape clamp pieces form a multi-piece split collar around the central shaft that is configured to contract and expand relative to the central shaft in response to flexural movement of the first and second arc shape clamp pieces relative to the coupling joint.

12. The brake assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first and second arc shape clamp pieces are detachably coupled to one another by being interlocked to each other at the one end.

13. The brake assembly of claim 10 , wherein the one ends of the first and second arc shape clamp pieces include respective first and second axially extending protrusions that circumferentially abut one another to resist flexural movement of the first and second arc shape clamp pieces toward each other relative to the coupling joint.

14. The brake assembly of claim 10 , wherein the one ends of the first and second arc shape clamp pieces have respective first and second axially extending tabs and first and second axially extending notches, and the first axially extending tab fits within the second axially extending notch and the second axially extending tab fits within the first axially extending notch.

15. The brake assembly of claim 10 , wherein the one ends of the first and second arc shape clamp pieces are slidable axially and radially relative to one another.

16. The brake assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first and second arc shape clamp pieces are detachably coupled to one another by a hinge at the one end.

17. The brake assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first and second arc shape clamp pieces have an identical geometry.

18. A method of installing a brake assembly in a medical device support system having a central shaft, the method comprising:
providing first and second discrete arc shape clamp pieces of the brake assembly, wherein the first and second arc shape clamp pieces each have a connecting end and a free end;
moving either the connecting ends or the free ends around the central shaft so that the connecting ends are situated at one side of the central shaft and the free ends are situated at an opposite side of the central shaft;
coupling the connecting ends of the first and second arc shape clamp pieces together to form a coupling joint for flexural movement of the first and second clamp pieces relative to the coupling joint at the connecting ends and for free movement at the free ends;
arranging the first and second arc shape clamp pieces relative to the central shaft to respectively increase and decrease a frictional braking force to the central shaft in response to flexural movement of the first and second arc shape clamp pieces relative to the coupling joint; and,
securing the brake assembly in a hub of an extension arm for rotation with the extension arm about the central shaft.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the arranging includes arranging the first and second arc shape clamp pieces to form a multi-piece split collar around the central shaft that is configured to contract and expand relative to the central shaft in response to flexural movement of the first and second arc shape clamp pieces relative to the coupling joint.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the coupling includes interlocking the connecting ends of the first and second arc shape clamp pieces.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the coupling includes sliding axially the first and second arc shape clamp pieces relative to one another.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the coupling includes hingedly connecting the connecting ends of the first and second arc shape clamp pieces.

Assignees

• American Sterilizer Co

Inventors

• Bellows Lance Clark
• Mohr Christopher Roy

Classifications

• A61B90/50 Primary

  Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms · CPC title

• F16D49/08

  shaped as an encircling band extending over approximately 360 degrees · CPC title

• F16M11/08

  around a vertical axis {, e.g. panoramic heads (F16M11/12 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16D65/14

  Actuating mechanisms for brakes; Means for initiating operation at a predetermined position (brake control systems, parts thereof B60T) · CPC title

• A61B90/35

  Supports therefor · CPC title