Single-use Bone Plate System with Aperture Clusters

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The current bone plate systems for internal fixation of fractured bones require a large inventory of components, repeated sterilization, and often need manufacturer assistance, leading to increased costs and complexity in surgical procedures.

Innovation Solution

A single-use bone plate system with pre-configured, sterile kits containing a limited set of components, including a bone plate with specific aperture clusters for both threaded and non-threaded fasteners, designed for specific surgical indications, reducing the need for extensive inventory and sterilization processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a large inventory of bone plate components is provided in non-sterile reusable trays, then the system can accommodate various patient anatomies and surgical indications, but the cost of inventory management, repeated sterilization, and manufacturer assistance increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccommodation of various patient anatomies and surgical indicationsVSAvoidinventory management and sterilization processes

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the bone plate components into single-use sterile kits, each containing a bone plate with specific aperture clusters configured for particular surgical indications. This segmentation eliminates the need for centralized inventory management and repeated sterilization of reusable trays, while maintaining adaptability through multiple specialized kit variants

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs disposable sterile single-use bone plate kits that are discarded after one use. This approach eliminates the costs associated with repeated sterilization, inventory management, and manufacturer assistance, while providing adequate versatility through multiple kit configurations for different surgical scenarios

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple types of bone fasteners are included in the tray to handle different surgical scenarios, then the system becomes more versatile, but the complexity of assembling and managing the tray increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandling of different surgical scenariosVSAvoidassembly and management of tray components

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides fastener requirements into specialized single-use kits, where each kit contains the specific fastener types needed for its designated surgical indication. This segmentation simplifies assembly and management by eliminating the need to handle diverse fastener inventories, while maintaining versatility through multiple specialized kit options

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each single-use kit is configured with local quality - containing specifically selected fastener types and quantities tailored to particular surgical scenarios. This allows the system to provide versatility across different indications while keeping each individual kit simple and easy to manage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Loss of substance

If reusable bone plate systems are used to reduce waste, then environmental impact decreases, but the repeated sterilization and inventory costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewaste generation from single-use componentsVSAvoidsterilization and inventory management

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses disposable sterile single-use bone plate kits that are discarded after one use. While this generates more waste than reusable systems, it eliminates the complex and costly sterilization processes and inventory management requirements, providing a simpler overall solution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentEP3185794B1Bone plate system

Publication Date: 2023.03.15 BIOMET CV

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

AI summary

A bone plate system and method for implanting the bone plate. The bone plate may include a head portion and a shaft portion, the shaft portion having a longitudinal axis and comprising a plurality of discrete aperture clusters. Each aperture cluster may include a non-threaded, non-locking bone fastener aperture configured to provide a polyaxial compressive construct and at least one threaded, locking bone fastener aperture. Once aligned with the bone, a first bone fastener is inserted into the bone through at least one of the non-threaded apertures in a direction normal to the longitudinal axis, compressing the bone along the longitudinal axis of the shaft portion of the bone plate. A second bone fastener is inserted into the bone through at least one of the threaded, locking bone fastener apertures in a direction oblique to the longitudinal axis and securing the bone plate to the bone.