Minimally Invasive Bone Fixation Tool With Deployable Retention Block

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surgical techniques require repeated insertion and removal of guide elements, such as k-wires, leading to additional wounds, increased pain, and prolonged recovery time due to the complexity and difficulty of achieving precise bone fragment fixation.

Innovation Solution

A surgical tool with a displacement tip for inserting into a medullary canal and a deployable retention block to maintain bone fragments in position, combined with a targeting guide for precise alignment and insertion of guide elements, reducing the need for multiple placements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If guide elements are repeatedly inserted and removed to achieve precise bone fragment fixation, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the number of wounds increases and recovery time is prolonged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidnumber of wounds

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical tool performs preliminary positioning and alignment actions through the single initial wound, establishing the correct trajectory and position for guide element insertion before the actual fixation procedure, thereby eliminating the need for repeated insertions and removals

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The surgical tool acts as an intermediary device that provides a stable platform and guidance mechanism between the surgeon's hand and the guide element, ensuring precise positioning in a single attempt rather than requiring multiple trial insertions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If guide elements are repeatedly inserted and removed to achieve precise bone fragment fixation, then positioning accuracy is improved, but surgical complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidsurgical complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical tool combines multiple functions (positioning, alignment, and guidance) into a single integrated device that performs all necessary preparatory actions through one wound, simplifying the overall surgical procedure while maintaining high positioning accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Measurement precision

If guide elements are repeatedly inserted and removed to achieve precise bone fragment fixation, then positioning accuracy is improved, but surgical time is increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidsurgical time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The surgical tool performs all necessary positioning and alignment actions in advance through the single initial access, so that when guide element insertion is required, the correct trajectory is already established, eliminating time-consuming repeated insertions and removals

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12383286B2Minimally invasive surgical tools and systems

Publication Date: 2025.08.12 WRIGHT MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

A surgical tool includes a body defining an opening sized and configured to receive a first bone portion therein, a displacement tip coupled to a first end of the body, the displacement tip sized and configured for insertion into a medullary canal of a second bone portion, and a deployable retention block configured to be transitioned from a first position to a second position. The deployable retention block is configured to maintain the first bone portion in a predetermined position when the deployable retention block is in the second position.