Bone Access Tools With Detents for Controlled Tool Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing treatments for chronic back pain, such as physical therapy, injections, and surgical interventions, are costly, addictive, temporary, or ineffective, and do not provide adequate relief for most patients, with only a small percentage being surgically eligible, and current bone access tools lack features for controlled introduction and removal, leading to potential incorrect placement during tool exchange.
Innovation Solution
The development of bone access tools with detents and mating features that provide tactile and audible feedback to ensure precise alignment and prevent accidental movement during tool exchange, facilitating controlled access to intraosseous nerves for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional bone access tools are used without detents or mating features, then the device structure remains simple, but tool exchange may cause inadvertent axial, translational, or rotational movement leading to incorrect placement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates tactile and audible feedback mechanisms through detents and mating features on bone access tools. These features provide sensory feedback to the operator during tool exchange, confirming proper alignment and engagement. The tactile clicks and audible signals serve as immediate feedback that the tools are correctly positioned, eliminating the need for complex visual monitoring or multiple verification steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The detents and mating features act as intermediary elements between the first and second tools. These intermediate features facilitate controlled interaction during tool exchange, preventing direct uncontrolled movement between tools. The detents serve as mechanical mediators that guide alignment and prevent inadvertent axial, translational, or rotational displacement.
2Ease of operation
If visual tracking of tool translation is required during exchange, then device structure remains simple, but operator workload increases and confidence decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates tactile and audible feedback mechanisms through detents and mating features on bone access tools. These features provide sensory feedback to the operator during tool exchange, confirming proper alignment and engagement. The tactile clicks and audible signals serve as immediate feedback that the tools are correctly positioned, eliminating the need for complex visual monitoring or multiple verification steps.
3Reliability
If detents or mating features are added to prevent accidental movement, then tool placement accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detents and mating features act as intermediary elements between the first and second tools. These intermediate features facilitate controlled interaction during tool exchange, preventing direct uncontrolled movement between tools. The detents serve as mechanical mediators that guide alignment and prevent inadvertent axial, translational, or rotational displacement.
4Productivity
If tool exchange is performed without controlled features, then device structure remains simple, but procedure repeatability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates tactile and audible feedback mechanisms through detents and mating features on bone access tools. These features provide sensory feedback to the operator during tool exchange, confirming proper alignment and engagement. The tactile clicks and audible signals serve as immediate feedback that the tools are correctly positioned, eliminating the need for complex visual monitoring or multiple verification steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The detents and mating features act as intermediary elements between the first and second tools. These intermediate features facilitate controlled interaction during tool exchange, preventing direct uncontrolled movement between tools. The detents serve as mechanical mediators that guide alignment and prevent inadvertent axial, translational, or rotational displacement.
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 tools enhance operator confidence and safety by providing tactile and audible feedback, ensuring accurate tool placement and preventing inadvertent movement, thereby improving the efficacy and repeatability of procedures like intraosseous nerve ablation.
Implementation Method 1
a first detent feature on the introducer handle and a second detent feature on the access instrument. The detent features are configured to engage with each other to provide tactile and/or audible feedback
Implementation Method 2
The detent features may add significant friction to the assembly to prevent accidental movement when exchanging parts or tools
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are various implementations of systems and methods for controllably accessing and modulating tissue (for example, systems and methods for accessing and ablating nerves or other tissue within or surrounding a vertebral body to treat chronic low back pain).