Intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tether instrument for scoliosis treatment

Abstract

The invention discloses an intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tether instrument for scoliosis treatment, which comprises a plurality of vertebral screws suitable for being implanted into vertebral bone tissues; the flexible tension tether rope is respectively connected with the plurality of centrum screws, and the plurality of centrum screws are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the flexible tension tether rope; the plurality of strain sensing electrodes are arranged on the flexible tension tether and are respectively positioned between every two adjacent vertebral screws, and the strain sensing electrodes are constructed to be suitable for detecting the tension of the flexible tension tether; and a plurality of near field communication devices, wherein the plurality of near field communication devices are electrically connected with the plurality of strain sensing electrodes respectively. According to the intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tether instrument for scoliosis treatment, tension can be monitored in the operation and after the operation, and the instrument has the advantages of being high in reliability, high in intelligent degree and the like.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, in particular to an intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tethering device for scoliosis treatment. BACKGROUND

[0002] Scoliosis in adolescents is a multifactorial driven spinal deformity disease, which is often first discovered between the ages of 10 and 18. Its typical feature is the lateral bending of the spine in the coronal plane, accompanied by structural abnormalities in the sagittal and horizontal planes, such as vertebral rotation and thoracic asymmetry. Since this stage is in the rapid growth and development period, once the deformity is formed, if not timely intervention, it is easy to rapidly increase with the growth of the skeleton, seriously affecting the mechanical stability of the spine and the overall posture of the body, and even can compress the heart and lung organs, causing respiratory limitation, decreased motor ability and long-term cardiopulmonary insufficiency. Early diagnosis and timely intervention are particularly important for scoliosis in adolescents.

[0003] The treatment of scoliosis in the related art is mainly rigid internal fixation technology, such as pedicle screw-titanium rod system. This kind of technology implants metal fixation device through open surgery, since the operation needs to strip a large area of muscle tissue and fuse multiple spinal segments, patients generally face long recovery period, significant postoperative pain, decreased spinal mobility and other problems after surgery, and the biomechanical function of the fixed segments is missing, which can easily cause adjacent vertebral degeneration, metal fatigue loosening and other long-term complications, especially for adolescents whose bone age has not closed, rigid fusion surgery can also interfere with normal growth and development, leading to uneven spinal development, secondary deformation, and even the need for secondary revision surgery. In addition, since this type of operation often requires a large incision to expose the spinal structure, postoperative scarring is obvious, affecting appearance and causing additional psychological burden on adolescents.

[0004] Flexible spinal cord technology is considered a new type of intervention method more suitable for the adolescent population. This technology implants several tension ropes made of flexible materials around the vertebral body, applies orthopedic force through pre-set tension, and realizes the control and intervention of spinal curvature. Unlike rigid fixation, the flexible rope provides stable traction while retaining some segment activity, which helps maintain the dynamic load transmission and physiological function of the spine. In addition, this surgery can be completed through a small incision of 2-3 cm, and the rope is inserted through a percutaneous path, significantly reducing soft tissue damage and postoperative pain, and patients can usually resume daily activities within 3 days after surgery. It is particularly suitable for adolescents with mild to moderate scoliosis and bone age not fully closed.

[0005] However, the flexible spinal cord system in the related art lacks control mode of intraoperative tension application and postoperative state monitoring capability, and the setting of the tension of the cord body in the operation mainly depends on the subjective experience of the doctor, that is, the cord body is manually pulled and fixed by combining the tactile judgment of the surgeon. This non-quantitative operation mode has significant uncertainty and individual difference, and the accuracy of tension control is difficult to guarantee. On the one hand, if the tension is too large, it may cause overcorrection, reverse lateral bending, and even induce serious complications such as vertebral endplate injury or cord rupture; on the other hand, if the tension is insufficient, it is difficult to maintain effective orthopedic force, and postoperative problems such as orthopedic loss and bending rebound are prone to occur, reducing the treatment effect. More importantly, once the cord is implanted in the body, its stress state is difficult to be sensed and monitored in real time, and only the postoperative regular X-ray or MRI image can be used to indirectly observe the spinal shape change, which is not only lagging but also cannot find early tension abnormalities. For example, relaxation and rupture are often detected when the deformity recurs or the orthopedic function fails, which delays the intervention opportunity. SUMMARY

[0006] The present application aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present application proposes an intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment, which can monitor the tension during and after the operation, has the advantages of high reliability, high intelligence, etc.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, according to the embodiment of the present application, an intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment is provided, which comprises: a plurality of vertebral body screws adapted to be implanted into vertebral bone tissue; a flexible tension tether connected with the plurality of vertebral body screws, respectively, and the plurality of vertebral body screws are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the flexible tension tether; a plurality of strain sensing electrodes arranged on the flexible tension tether and located between each adjacent two vertebral body screws, respectively, the strain sensing electrodes are configured to detect the tension of the flexible tension tether; and a plurality of near field communication devices electrically connected with the plurality of strain sensing electrodes, respectively.

[0008] The intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment according to the embodiment of the present application can monitor the tension during and after the operation, has the advantages of high reliability, high intelligence, etc.

[0009] In addition, the intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment according to the above-mentioned embodiment of the present application can have the following additional technical features: According to one embodiment of the present application, the vertebral body screw comprises a screw body adapted to be implanted into vertebral bone tissue, the screw body being provided with a positioning groove, and a flexible tension tether adapted to be fitted into the positioning groove; and a fixing cap threadedly fitted with the positioning groove and adapted to compress the flexible tension tether in the positioning groove.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present application, the intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tether instrument for scoliosis treatment further comprises an encapsulation layer, the encapsulation layer encapsulating at least a portion of the flexible tension tether, and the strain sensing electrodes and the near field communication devices are both encapsulated in the encapsulation layer.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present application, the encapsulation layer is a piece of heat-shrinkable biopolymer material.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present application, each of the strain sensing electrodes comprises a plurality of rhombic units arranged along the length direction of the flexible tension tether and connected in series.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present application, the strain sensing electrodes are pieces of laser-induced graphene material.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present application, the flexible tension tether comprises an inner core and an outer layer, the outer layer being encapsulated outside the inner core. According to one embodiment of the present application, the inner core is a piece of high-molecular polyethylene material.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present application, the outer layer is a piece of polyester fiber and polyimide composite material.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present application, each of the near field communication devices comprises a flexible substrate layer, a near field communication antenna provided on the flexible substrate layer, and a near field communication chip electrically connected with the near field communication antenna and the strain sensing electrode, respectively.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the following description, become apparent from the following description, or be learned by practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and be readily understood from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tether instrument for scoliosis treatment according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0019] Figure 2is a partial exploded view of an intraoperative-postoperative assisted intelligent tension tethering device for scoliosis treatment according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 3 is a partial structural schematic view of an intraoperative-postoperative assisted intelligent tension tethering device for scoliosis treatment according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 4 is a partial structural schematic view of an intraoperative-postoperative assisted intelligent tension tethering device for scoliosis treatment according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 5 is a sectional view of an intraoperative-postoperative assisted intelligent tension tethering device for scoliosis treatment according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Reference signs: intraoperative-postoperative assisted intelligent tension tethering device for scoliosis treatment 1, vertebral body screw 10, screw body 11, positioning groove 110, fixing cap 12, flexible tension tether 20, inner core 21, outer layer 22, strain sensing electrode 30, diamond cell 31, near field communication device 40, flexible base layer 41, near field communication antenna 42, near field communication chip 43, encapsulation layer 50. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings, which are shown by way of example, and wherein like or similar elements are referred to using like reference numerals throughout the drawings. The embodiments described below are examples of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0025] In the description of the present application, it is to be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, features defined with "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise stated, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more. In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0026] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, describes an intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tethering device 1 for the treatment of scoliosis according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] like Figures 1-5 As shown, the intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tethering device 1 for scoliosis treatment according to an embodiment of the present invention includes multiple vertebral screws 10, flexible tension tethering ropes 20, multiple strain sensing electrodes 30 and multiple near-field communication devices 40.

[0028] Vertebral screws 10 are suitable for implantation into vertebral bone tissue. Flexible tension tethers 20 are connected to multiple vertebral screws 10, which are spaced apart along the length of the flexible tension tethers 20. Multiple strain sensing electrodes 30 are disposed on the flexible tension tethers 20 and located between each pair of adjacent vertebral screws 10; the strain sensing electrodes 30 are configured to detect the tension of the flexible tension tethers 20. Multiple near-field communication devices 40 are electrically connected to the multiple strain sensing electrodes 30.

[0029] Specifically, multiple vertebral screws 10 divide the flexible tension tether 20 into multiple segments. Each segment is equipped with a strain sensing electrode 30 and a near-field communication device 40 electrically connected to the strain sensing electrode 30. Each strain sensing electrode 30 is adapted to detect the tension of its segment. When the tension of the flexible tension tether 20 changes and deforms, the strain sensing electrode 30 on the flexible tension tether 20 also deforms, thereby changing the electrical signal generated by the strain sensing electrode 30. Each near-field communication device 40 is adapted to transmit the tension information detected by the strain sensing electrode 30 to the outside via near-field communication. The tension information transmitted by the near-field communication device 40 can be read and analyzed by a terminal with near-field communication functionality.

[0030] When a patient with scoliosis needs to be treated, the number, size and layout of the vertebral screws 10 and strain sensing electrodes 30 required are first determined according to the specific condition of the patient. The strain sensing electrodes 30 are initialized and calibrated to identify the change in electrical parameters under different tension states. During the operation, all the vertebral screws 10 are sequentially implanted into the target vertebral positions, and the flexible tension tether 20 is connected and fixed with the plurality of vertebral screws 10, and the tension change of the flexible tension tether 20 is monitored in real time through the near field communication terminal during the process. After the operation, the tension change trend can be obtained through the near field communication terminal at regular intervals to evaluate the correction progress and the stability of the tether.

[0031] According to the in-operation and post-operation auxiliary intelligent tension tether instrument 1 for scoliosis treatment in the embodiment of the present application, by arranging the strain sensing electrodes 30 and the near field communication device 40, the tension change of the flexible tension tether 20 can be detected through the strain sensing electrodes 30, and the tension change detected by the strain sensing electrodes 30 can be sent out through the near field communication device 40, so that the tension change trend can be obtained and analyzed through the near field communication terminal. Compared with the flexible spinal tether system in the related art, not only can the tension be scientifically controlled by the doctor during the operation to avoid excessive or insufficient tension, reduce the risk of operation caused by abnormal tension, reduce the uncertainty of tension control caused by subjective experience, tactile judgment and individual differences of the doctor, and improve the reliability and accuracy of tension control, but also the non-invasive tension information collection can be realized through the near field communication after the operation, and the tension state of the tether can be remotely and dynamically monitored, so that the potential failure risks such as relaxation and rupture can be identified in time, the opportunity for intervention is avoided, and the reliability and intelligent level of the scoliosis treatment are significantly improved.

[0032] Therefore, the in-operation and post-operation auxiliary intelligent tension tether instrument 1 for scoliosis treatment according to the embodiment of the present application can monitor the tension during and after the operation, and has the advantages of high reliability and high intelligent level.

[0033] Hereinafter, the in-operation and post-operation auxiliary intelligent tension tether instrument 1 for scoliosis treatment according to the embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figures 1-5 The in-operation and post-operation auxiliary intelligent tension tether instrument 1 for scoliosis treatment according to the embodiment of the present application includes a plurality of vertebral screws 10, a flexible tension tether 20, a plurality of strain sensing electrodes 30 and a plurality of near field communication devices 40.

[0035] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2As shown, the vertebral screw 10 comprises a screw body 11 and a fixing cap 12. The screw body 11 is adapted to be implanted into vertebral bone tissue, and the screw body 11 is provided with a positioning groove 110, and the flexible tension tether 20 is adapted to be fitted in the positioning groove 110. The fixing cap 12 is threadedly fitted with the positioning groove 110 and is adapted to press the flexible tension tether 20 in the positioning groove 110. Specifically, the screw body 11 can be implanted into the vertebral bone tissue first, and then the flexible tension tether 20 is fitted in the positioning groove 110, and after being adjusted to a proper tension, the fixing cap 12 is screwed to realize the connection and positioning of the flexible tension tether 20 with the vertebral screw 10. Thus, the connection of the flexible tension tether 20 with the vertebral screw 10 can be facilitated, and the tension of the flexible tension tether 20 can be adjusted.

[0036] Advantageously, as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the intraoperative and postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tether instrument 1 for scoliosis treatment further comprises an encapsulation layer 50, and the encapsulation layer 50 encapsulates at least a portion of the flexible tension tether 20, and the strain sensing electrode 30 and the near-field communication device 40 are both encapsulated in the encapsulation layer 50. In this way, the encapsulation of the strain sensing electrode 30 and the near-field communication device 40 can be realized by using the encapsulation layer 50, and the strain sensing electrode 30 and the near-field communication device 40 can be protected from being eroded by body fluids by using the encapsulation layer 50.

[0037] More advantageously, the encapsulation layer 50 is a piece of heat-shrinkable biopolymer material. In this way, not only can the encapsulation layer 50 be conveniently arranged and encapsulated, but also the compatibility of the encapsulation layer 50 with human tissues can be improved, and the rejection reaction can be reduced.

[0038] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1-3 Each strain sensing electrode 30 comprises a plurality of rhombic units 31, and the plurality of rhombic units 31 are arranged along the length direction of the flexible tension tether 20 and are connected in series. Specifically, the rhombic unit 31 is a hollow rhombus. In this way, the strain sensing electrode 30 can be deformed along with the flexible tension tether 20, and the electrical signal of the strain sensing electrode 30 can be changed along with the stress change of the flexible tension tether 20.

[0039] More specifically, the strain sensing electrode 30 is a piece of laser-induced graphene material. In this way, not only can the strain sensing electrode 30 be conveniently prepared, but also the conductivity and sensitivity of the strain sensing electrode 30 can be improved.

[0040] Optionally, as shown in Figure 4As shown, each near field communication device 40 comprises a flexible substrate layer 41, a near field communication antenna 42 and a near field communication chip 43. The near field communication antenna 42 is arranged on the flexible substrate layer 41. The near field communication chip 43 is electrically connected with the near field communication antenna 42 and the strain sensing electrode 30 respectively. Specifically, the flexible substrate layer 41 is a polyimide material piece, the near field communication antenna 42 is a copper antenna, and the near field communication chip 43 has an analog-to-digital conversion function. In this way, the tension information detected by the strain sensing electrode 30 can be converted by the near field communication chip 43 and transmitted outward through the near field communication antenna 42.

[0041] Figure 5 An intraoperative-postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tethering instrument 1 for scoliosis treatment according to some examples of the present application is shown. As shown in Figure 5 As shown, the flexible tension tether 20 comprises an inner core 21 and an outer layer 22, and the outer layer 22 is wrapped outside the inner core 21. In this way, the preparation of the flexible tension tether 20 can be facilitated, and different properties of the flexible tension tether 20 can be achieved by using different materials for the inner core 21 and the outer layer 22.

[0042] Specifically, the inner core 21 is a high-molecular polyethylene material piece. In this way, the inner core 21 can have a relatively high tensile strength, which facilitates the provision of tension to the vertebral body screw 10.

[0043] More specifically, the outer layer 22 is a polyester fiber and polyimide composite material piece. In this way, not only can the inner core 21 be protected by the outer layer 22, but the connection strength and reliability of the flexible tension tether 20 and the vertebral body screw 10 can also be improved, and the strain sensing electrode 30 can also be prepared on the outer layer 22.

[0044] Other configurations and operations of the intraoperative-postoperative auxiliary intelligent tension tethering instrument 1 for scoliosis treatment according to the embodiments of the present application are known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and will not be described in detail here.

[0045] In the description of the present specification, the description of the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiment", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" and the like means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In the present specification, the illustrative description of the above terms does not necessarily mean the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0046] While embodiments of the application have been shown and described, it is to be understood that the embodiments described are merely divergences of the principles and application of the present application and that numerous modifications, changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, which is defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An intraoperative-postoperative assisted intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment, characterized in that, The application relates to a vertebral body screw system, comprising: a plurality of vertebral body screws adapted to be implanted into vertebral bone tissue; a plurality of flexible tension tether ropes respectively connected with the plurality of vertebral body screws, the plurality of vertebral body screws being arranged at intervals along the length direction of the flexible tension tether ropes; a plurality of strain sensing electrodes arranged on the flexible tension tether ropes and respectively located between every two adjacent vertebral body screws, the strain sensing electrodes being configured to detect the tension of the flexible tension tether ropes; a plurality of near field communication devices respectively electrically connected with the plurality of strain sensing electrodes.

2. The intra-post operative assisted intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment of claim 1, wherein, The vertebral body screw comprises: a screw body adapted to be implanted into vertebral bone tissue, the screw body being provided with a positioning groove, and the flexible tension tether rope being adapted to be fitted into the positioning groove; a fixing cap threadedly matched with the positioning groove and adapted to compress the flexible tension tether rope in the positioning groove.

3. The intra-post operative assisted intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising an encapsulation layer covering at least a part of the flexible tension tether rope, the strain sensing electrodes and the near field communication devices being encapsulated in the encapsulation layer.

4. The intra-post operative assist intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment of claim 3, wherein, The encapsulation layer is a heat-shrinkable biopolymer material piece.

5. The intra-post operative assist intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment of claim 1, wherein, Each strain sensing electrode comprises a plurality of rhombic units arranged along the length direction of the flexible tension tether rope and connected in series.

6. The intra-post operative assist intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment of claim 1, wherein, The strain sensing electrode is a laser-induced graphene material piece.

7. The intra-post operative assisted intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment of claim 1, wherein, The flexible tension tether rope comprises an inner core and an outer layer, and the outer layer covers the outer core.

8. The intra-post operative assisted intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment of claim 7, wherein, The inner core is a high-molecular polyethylene material piece.

9. The intra-post operative assisted intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment of claim 7, wherein, The outer layer is a polyester fiber and polyimide composite material piece.

10. The intra-post operative assist intelligent tension tethering instrument for scoliosis treatment of claim 1, wherein, Each near field communication device comprises: a flexible substrate layer; a near field communication antenna arranged on the flexible substrate layer; a near field communication chip electrically connected with the near field communication antenna and the strain sensing electrode.

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