Artificial Spinal Disc Lateral Implant Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional artificial spinal discs have complex shapes requiring intricate manufacturing processes, often fail to ensure spinal mobility post-surgery, and pose risks during anterior approach surgeries due to potential damage to major blood vessels and vital organs.
Innovation Solution
An artificial spinal disc with a simple shape, easy to manufacture, featuring a protruding joint portion with a main joint portion and auxiliary joint portions for multidirectional movement, and implanted via a lateral or anterolateral approach to minimize surgical risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional artificial discs with complex shapes are used, then spinal mobility can be restored, but the manufacturing process becomes intricate and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The artificial disc is divided into separate components: an upper plate, a lower plate, and a core element. These segmented parts can be manufactured independently using simpler processes and then assembled together to achieve the desired spinal mobility function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functional elements (upper plate, lower plate, core element with convex-concave surfaces) into a unified artificial disc structure that achieves complex spinal mobility restoration through the integration of these individually manufacturable components.
2Reliability
If conventional artificial discs are implanted via anterior approach, then the disc can be replaced, but there is increased risk of damage to major blood vessels and vital organs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional anterior approach by enabling implantation through a lateral approach. The artificial disc is designed with a specific orientation and insertion configuration that allows it to be accessed from the lateral side of the spine, thereby avoiding the major blood vessels and vital organs located in the anterior approach path.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional artificial discs with complex shapes are used, then spinal function can be restored, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex spinal function restoration is achieved through segmented components (upper plate, lower plate, core element) rather than a single complex structure. Each segment has a relatively simple geometry that can be manufactured independently, yet their combination provides the necessary adaptability for spinal function restoration.
Solution Approach 2:
The artificial disc design with upper plate, lower plate, and core element configuration provides multi-functional capability: it restores spinal height, enables mobility through convex-concave joint surfaces, and allows for lateral implantation. This universal design achieves multiple spinal restoration functions without requiring each component to be individually complex.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an artificial spinal disc including an upper disc formed in a plate shape with top coupled to an upper vertebra, a protruding joint portion protruding from a lower surface of the upper disc, and a lower disc formed in a plate shape with bottom coupled to a lower vertebra wherein the protruding joint portion is seated on an upper surface of the lower disc. According to the foregoing description, the artificial disc is implanted through the lateral or anterolateral approach to the spine, rather than the anterior approach, and such lateral implantation is straightforward.