Operating Room Pedal Organizer
This technology offers an organization system for groups of foot pedals in an operating room. The foot pedals are placed into a rack and remotely controlled during surgical procedure, eliminating cord entanglement and potentially life threatening delays during surgery.
What is the Problem?
Most devices in the operating room are controlled by a foot pedal so that hands remain free. Each device is proprietary, and so each has a different pedal, cable, and electronic connection. Currently, multiple pedals of different sizes and shapes are used throughout an operation, so it can be difficult to rapidly locate the desired pedal. Often, a pedal is transferred from the surgeon to the assistant, who will use the pedal for a period and then transferred back to the primary surgeon. This inevitably creates tangles in the cords with other pedals. Often, a staff member will need to crawl under the operating room table to sort out the pedal situation because one cord is caught on something. This leads to unnecessary and potentially life-threatening delays during a surgical procedure. There is a need for a unified pedal organization system.
What is the Solution?
The solution is a system that organizes and groups the pedals in one package. Each proprietary pedal is placed into a rack that includes actuators that will physically depress the pedal. These actuators are controlled remotely. Each pedal is connected to its device using its regular cords and connectors. The surgeon interacts with a new, organized, pedal system that communicates to the pedal rack to control all of their pedals.
What Differentiates it from Solutions Available Today?
Currently, pedals on different devices must be passed around the room, leading to entanglement that can cause delays during a surgical procedure. This solution can reduce wasted physician time, and increase the quality of care by eliminating potentially life threatening delays during surgery.