Bone Distractor with Sloping Transition Shoulders and Quick Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone distraction devices often cause tissue damage due to exposed edges and right-angle junctions during implantation, distraction, or removal, as they are inserted and implanted into soft tissue.
Innovation Solution
A bone distractor with sloping or curved edges and transitions is designed to minimize tissue damage, featuring a ratchet and pawl mechanism for controlled incremental distraction and quick release, allowing free rotation in either direction, and a telescoping sleeve housing with a sloping transition shoulder to reduce abrupt edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a bone distraction device has exposed edges and right-angle junctions for structural simplicity, then the device is easier to manufacture and assemble, but the device causes tissue damage during implantation, distraction, or removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing exposed right-angle edges with sloping or curved transition surfaces. The housing features rounded corners and gradual transitions between different components, eliminating sharp edges that would otherwise contact and damage soft tissue during implantation, distraction, or removal operations.
2Manufacturing precision
If a ratchet and pawl mechanism is used for controlled incremental distraction, then the distraction is precise and controlled, but the mechanism is more complex and requires additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the quick-release function from the ratchet mechanism by providing a separate release member that can disengage the pawl from the ratchet teeth. This allows the mechanism to maintain precision during normal operation while enabling quick release when needed, separating the locking function from the release function to improve controllability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic capability by allowing the ratchet and pawl mechanism to transition between engaged and disengaged states. The release member can be actuated to disengage the pawl, enabling the threaded rod to rotate in reverse for contraction, providing dynamic adaptability to different operational requirements.
3Ease of operation
If a quick release disengagement mechanism is provided, then the threaded drive rod can be rotated in the opposite direction quickly, but the mechanism becomes more complex with additional release components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a release member as an intermediary component between the pawl and the ratchet teeth. This release member can be actuated to disengage the pawl from the ratchet, enabling quick reversal of the threaded rod rotation. The release member serves as a mediator that provides controlled quick-release functionality without requiring complete redesign of the locking mechanism.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the device allows free rotation of the threaded rod in either direction, then the bone plates can be contracted or distracted as needed, but the ratchet and pawl mechanism cannot maintain locking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic locking by allowing the ratchet and pawl mechanism to be either engaged or disengaged based on operational needs. During normal distraction, the pawl engages the ratchet teeth to prevent reverse rotation and maintain locking. When contraction is needed, the release member disengages the pawl, allowing free rotation in the opposite direction. This dynamic state change provides both reliability during locking and flexibility when needed.
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 device enables precise and controlled bone lengthening or shortening with reduced risk of tissue damage during implantation, distraction, and removal, facilitating safer and more effective craniofacial repair and reconstruction.
Implementation Method 1
a threaded rod (13) retained within an elongated, linear rod housing (14), whereby rotation of the threaded rod (13) within the rod housing (14) in a distraction direction results in relative separation of the bone plate members (111) and rotation of the threaded rod (13) in the opposite direction results in relative contraction of the bone plate members (111)
Implementation Method 2
a ratchet and pawl mechanism for controlled incremental distraction and quick release, allowing free rotation in either direction
Data Source
AI summary
A bone distraction device having a ratchet and pawl assembly such that incremental rotation is allowed in one direction and prevented in the other, and further having a quick release mechanism such that the ratchet and pawl mechanism can be released to allow free rotation in both directions. The device has a pawl housing mounted onto a rod housing, the pawl housing having a sloping transition shoulder diminishing to transition onto the outer surface of the rod housing. In other embodiments, the device has a sleeve housing with an enlarged end telescopically mounted onto a rod housing, the enlarged end having a sloping transition shoulder diminishing to transition onto the outer surface of the sleeve housing.