Bone Anchor Inserter Locking Collar for One-Handed Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current instruments for securing anchors and elastomeric devices in bone are cumbersome, inefficient, and difficult to use, often requiring two-handed operations or complex handle mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Development of surgical instruments with a cannulated drive shaft and a movable collar that allows one-handed operation, featuring a lock mechanism to secure anchors and elastomeric devices in bone, including a collar that transitions between locked and unlocked configurations to facilitate easy insertion and fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional instruments are used for securing anchors in bone, then the anchor can be secured, but the instrument is cumbersome and requires two-handed operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drive shaft and insertion shaft into a single integrated instrument assembly, allowing both functions to be controlled from one handle. The drive shaft and insertion shaft are coupled together such that rotation of the drive shaft simultaneously drives the anchor fixation member and controls the insertion member deployment, enabling one-handed operation while maintaining functional complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument incorporates a dynamic locking mechanism with a collar that can transition between locked and unlocked configurations. The detent mechanism provides dynamic engagement and disengagement of the insertion shaft relative to the drive shaft, allowing the operator to switch between insertion mode and driving mode seamlessly during one-handed operation.
2Reliability
If a lock mechanism is added to prevent translation of insertion shaft, then the anchor insertion is controlled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detent mechanism is designed to automatically engage with the insertion shaft when the collar is in the locked configuration, without requiring additional actuation. The resilient member provides automatic engagement force, and the detent geometry itself creates the locking action through its interaction with the insertion shaft surface, reducing the need for complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The detent is nested within the collar structure, and the resilient member is integrated into the collar assembly. The lock mechanism components are compactly arranged within the existing instrument housing, minimizing additional space requirements and reducing overall structural complexity despite the added functional capability.
3Ease of operation
If the collar prevents translation of insertion shaft, then the anchor is securely held, but the insertion process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is extracted as a separate, dedicated mechanism (collar with detent) that operates independently from the driving function. This separation allows the collar to specialize in holding the insertion shaft in the locked position without interfering with the rotation and driving actions, simplifying the control logic despite adding a mechanical component.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a complex active locking system that requires continuous actuation, the patent uses a passive detent mechanism that maintains the locked state through its geometry and resilient member bias. The locking action occurs automatically when the collar is positioned in the locked configuration, inverting the approach from active control to passive maintenance of the locked state.
Data Source
AI summary
Instruments, systems, and methods for securing anchors, elastomeric devices, and other elements in bone. In one example, an instrument includes a collar movable between a locked configuration that prevents an insertion shaft of the instrument from translating relative to a drive shaft of the instrument and an unlocked configuration that does not prevent the insertion shaft from translating relative to the drive shaft. In another example, an instrument for securing an elastomeric device to bone includes a lock movable between locked and unlocked configurations (e.g. similar to or the same as the collar in the previous example) that facilitates insertion of the elastomeric device into a bone opening when the lock is in the locked configuration, and subsequent insertion of a bone implant into the bone opening when the lock is in the unlocked configuration.