Acetabular Cup Impactor Assembly With Adjustable Angle Guides

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing surgical instruments for implanting acetabular cups in reverse hip prostheses lack the ability to achieve optimal placement and orientation, particularly in terms of inclination and anteversion angles, during the implantation process.

Innovation Solution

The acetabular cup impactor assembly, comprising a handle, inner shaft, inclination-anteversion guide rods, and collet, allows for precise alignment and fixation of the acetabular cup by adjusting inclination and anteversion angles to 45 degrees and 20 degrees, respectively, using a collet to grip the cup stem and a hammer to impact it into place.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If existing surgical instruments are used for implanting acetabular cups, then the implantation process can be completed, but optimal placement and orientation (inclination and anteversion angles) cannot be achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplacement precisionVSAvoidinstrument complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The impactor assembly is divided into distinct functional segments: a handle for operator control, an inner shaft for force transmission, and separate inclination-anteversion guide rods that can be independently adjusted. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guide rods are designed to be adjustable and repositionable, allowing the inclination and anteversion angles to be dynamically modified during the surgical procedure. This dynamic capability enables optimal placement precision without requiring a completely fixed, complex instrument design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the acetabular cup is impacted without precise angle control, then the procedure is simpler, but proper alignment and fixation cannot be ensured

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefixation reliabilityVSAvoidoperation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The inclination-anteversion guide rods act as intermediary elements between the impactor and the acetabular cup. These guide rods transmit and control the orientation forces, ensuring proper alignment angles are maintained during impactation while keeping the operator's control actions simple and intuitive.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide rods are pre-positioned and adjusted to the desired inclination and anteversion angles before the actual impactation of the cup. This preliminary alignment action ensures that when the cup is impacted, the correct orientation is already established, improving fixation reliability without complicating the impactation step itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If guide rods are added to control inclination and anteversion angles, then accurate placement is achieved, but the device structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveangle control precisionVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The inclination and anteversion control functions are merged into a single integrated guide rod assembly that attaches to the impactor handle. This combining of multiple control functions into one unified structure achieves precise angle control while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity compared to separate independent control mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Enables accurate and secure implantation of the acetabular cup with controlled inclination and anteversion angles, ensuring proper alignment and fixation in the acetabulum.

Implementation Method 1

a collet to grip the cup stem

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

a hammer to impact it into place

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImpact force: Impact Force

Data Source

PatentEP3328291B1Ball and cup impactors for implanting a hip prosthesis
Publication Date: 2025.10.22 HIP INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY LLC
  • EP3328291B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3328291B1 patent drawingFigure 4
  • EP3328291B1 patent drawingFigure 5~8

AI summary

New surgical instruments and methods used to implant elements of a reverse hip prosthesis in a patient are described. The instruments are impactors which are struck with a hammer at their proximal ends after the instrument has been used to position the implant element in the patient. An acetabular cup impactor has inclination and anteversion rods which are used to position the acetabular cup optimally in the acetabulum. An acetabular ball impactor affixes the acetabular ball in the acetabular cup by means of a Morse taper. And a femoral cup impactor affixes the femoral cup in the femoral stem by means of a Morse taper.