Bionic Fixing Apparatus Trenches for Stress Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional implants have a high modulus of elasticity that is mismatched with biological tissue, leading to issues such as tissue necrosis, wear, and loosening of implants due to stress shielding, and traditional manufacturing processes are inadequate for improving this issue, especially for small implants.
Innovation Solution
A bionic fixing apparatus with a flexible portion featuring trenches on its surface, manufactured via additive manufacturing, which spreads stress and reduces modulus of elasticity to prevent tissue damage and implant loosening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional implants with high modulus of elasticity are used, then implant strength is sufficient, but stress shielding occurs causing tissue necrosis, wear, and loosening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous materials by creating a porous structure on the surface of the implant through additive manufacturing. This porous structure reduces the overall modulus of elasticity of the implant while maintaining sufficient strength, thereby minimizing stress shielding effects and preventing tissue necrosis and loosening.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the implant by introducing a porous structure with controlled pore size, shape, and distribution. This parameter change reduces the modulus of elasticity from conventional high values to a range more compatible with biological tissue, resolving the contradiction between strength and tissue compatibility.
2Reliability
If special sintering or surface coating processes are applied to improve stress shielding, then bone integration is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases and small implants become difficult to treat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the structure creation and surface treatment steps into a single additive manufacturing process. The porous structure is directly fabricated during the 3D printing process itself, eliminating the need for separate sintering or coating operations, thus reducing manufacturing complexity while achieving both structural integrity and bone integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process inherently creates the porous surface structure that promotes bone integration without requiring additional surface treatment steps. The manufacturing process serves its own purpose of creating the functional surface, eliminating the need for separate specialized processes.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional manufacturing processes are used, then conventional implants can be produced, but small implants cannot achieve adequate stress distribution and bone integration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating porous structures with varying pore sizes, shapes, and distributions in different regions of the implant. This allows optimization of stress distribution and bone integration locally, particularly for small implants where uniform structures would be ineffective. The additive manufacturing process enables precise control of local porous characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
A bionic fixing apparatus is provided. The bionic fixing apparatus includes a flexible portion having at least one trench. The trench is disposed on the surface of the flexible portion and has a first end and a second end. An interval is disposed between the first end and the second end. The trench is disposed for spreading the stress applied on the bionic fixing apparatus and preventing stress concentration and stress shielding.