Bilateral Cochlear Implant Surgical Template for Symmetric Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bilateral cochlear implant surgeries often lack precise documentation of implantation angles, leading to potential asymmetrical sound reception and increased surgical time due to the need for sequential surgeries by different surgeons.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable surgical template system with left and right sides that fits over the patient's head, allowing adjustment of implant stimulator positions to ensure symmetric implantation sites, featuring adjustable connections, angle indicators, and holding magnets for precise alignment and marking during surgery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sequential implantation surgeries are performed on both sides, then the surgery can be completed with available surgical resources, but the total surgical time increases and asymmetrical implantation may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating a custom-made template during the first surgery that captures the precise implantation position and angle. This template is then used in the second surgery to replicate the same positioning, eliminating the need for time-consuming measurements and ensuring symmetry without requiring both surgeries to be performed simultaneously.
2Ease of manufacture
If different surgeons perform the separate surgeries, then surgical specialization is optimized, but implantation symmetry and precision are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by creating a physical template that replicates the exact implantation parameters (position, angle, orientation) from the first surgery. This template serves as a reusable guide that can be used by different surgeons in the second surgery, ensuring that the implantation symmetry is maintained regardless of which surgeon performs the procedure.
3Device complexity
If no data is documented on implantation angle, then the surgical process is simpler, but precise replication for bilateral symmetry is impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by introducing a custom-made template as a physical mediator between the first and second surgeries. This template encapsulates all the implantation parameters (angle, position, orientation) in a tangible form that can be directly applied during the second surgery, eliminating the need for complex digital documentation while ensuring precise replication.
4Productivity
If the implant stimulator position is not precisely adjusted, then the surgical procedure is faster, but symmetrical sound reception cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and pre-positioning the implant stimulator location on the template during template creation. This allows the surgeon to simply align the template during the second surgery rather than performing complex measurements and calculations, achieving both speed and precision in stimulator positioning.
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
Facilitates symmetrical implantation of bilateral hearing systems, reducing surgical time and ensuring optimal sound direction perception while providing aesthetic benefits through controlled symmetric implantation sites.
Implementation Method 1
there may be a holding magnet located within the outer outline of one of the implant stimulator templates configured to hold that implant stimulator template securely on the skin over an implanted magnet of a previously implanted stimulator
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A bilateral hearing implant surgical template arrangement is described. An adjustable headpiece with left and right sides fits over the head of a surgical patient.. There are left and right implant stimulator templates, each configured to conform against an underlying side of the patient's head and each connected to a corresponding left and right side of the adjustable headpiece by an adjustable connection. Each adjustable connection is configured to allow adjustment of the position of the implant stimulator template with respect to the adjustable headpiece so as to define stimulator implantation sites at symmetric locations on each side of the patient's head.