Adjustable External Fixator Limb Adhesion Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional adjustable external fixators are bulky and heavy, causing discomfort and burden to patients, and cannot directly adhere to the limb, complicating daily living and surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable external fixator design featuring a body that can adhere to the patient's limb, with a positioning member and bone coupling member that are slidably coupled to a threaded rod, allowing for adjustable engagement and reduced volume and weight, enabling stable fixation and easier surgical procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional adjustable external fixator is used with multiple rings and rods, then the bone and soft tissue can steadily regenerate, but the device has large volume and heavy weight causing extra burden to daily living
Solution Approach 1:
The fixator is divided into separate functional modules: a body portion that adheres to the limb, positioning members that engage with bone, and threaded rods for adjustment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall weight while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning member integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides bone engagement through bone coupling holes, enables adjustment via the threaded rod, and maintains position through the slideway mechanism. This merging reduces the number of separate parts and overall device weight.
2Reliability
If a conventional adjustable external fixator is used with multiple rings and rods, then the bone and soft tissue can steadily regenerate, but the device has large volume causing extra burden to daily living
Solution Approach 1:
The fixator is divided into separate functional modules: a body portion that adheres to the limb, positioning members that engage with bone, and threaded rods for adjustment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall volume while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The threaded rod extends in a direction perpendicular to the main body axis, allowing adjustment mechanism to be compact in the longitudinal dimension while providing full range of motion. This dimensional reorganization reduces the overall volume footprint of the device.
3Reliability
If a conventional adjustable external fixator is used, then the bone section can be fixed, but the device has complicated components making surgical procedures complex
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning member integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides bone engagement through bone coupling holes, enables adjustment via the threaded rod, and maintains position through the slideway mechanism. This merging reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies surgical procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning member serves multiple purposes: it acts as a bone anchor, a positioning reference, an adjustment interface, and a stability constraint. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components for each function, reducing overall device complexity.
4Reliability
If a conventional adjustable external fixator is used, then the bone section can be fixed, but the device has complicated components resulting in heavy weight
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning member integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides bone engagement through bone coupling holes, enables adjustment via the threaded rod, and maintains position through the slideway mechanism. This merging reduces the number of separate parts and overall device weight.
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
The design results in a lighter, more compact external fixator that reduces patient burden and simplifies surgical processes, facilitating bone regeneration and lengthening while maintaining stability and adjustability.
Implementation Method 1
The threaded rod includes a threaded section fastened with the screw hole of the positioning member
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an adjustable external fixator which can be utilized in bone transport or bone lengthening. The adjustable external fixator includes a body, a positioning member, a bone coupling member, and a threaded rod. The body includes a slideway. At least one of the positioning member and the bone coupling member is slidably coupled to the slideway of the body.