Surgical Bone Plug Orientation Device with Three-Point Contact Head
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical devices for harvesting and implanting bone plugs lack precise perpendicularity control, leading to inaccurate graft placement and risk of cartilage separation during transfer, especially in arthroscopic procedures where visual assessment is challenging.
Innovation Solution
A surgical implement featuring a rod with a head having three contact points arranged in a circular array, allowing precise orientation at a predetermined angle (typically 90°) to ensure perpendicularity, integrated within a tubular cutting tool that eliminates the need for separate delivery devices and reduces cartilage separation risks by reversing the transfer direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If visual estimation is used for perpendicularity control in arthroscopic procedures, then the procedure can be performed with limited visual assessment, but the manufacturing precision of graft placement and cartilage alignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary orientation device with a rod and head having three contact points that mediate between the surgical tool and the bone surface. This intermediary mechanism provides precise perpendicular orientation without requiring direct visual assessment, resolving the contradiction by enabling accurate graft placement while maintaining ease of operation in arthroscopic procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical visual estimation system with a geometric constraint system. The rod with three contact points forming a circular array creates a predetermined geometric relationship that mechanically ensures perpendicular orientation, eliminating the need for visual assessment while maintaining operational ease.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a separate delivery device is used to transfer bone plugs, then the harvesting and implanting functions are separated, but the risk of cartilage separation and graft integrity deterioration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the harvesting and implanting functions into a single integrated tool. The tubular cutting tool includes both the harvesting mechanism with the orientation device and the delivery capability, eliminating the need for separate delivery devices and thereby preventing cartilage separation while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional transfer approach by eliminating the intermediate delivery device step. The bone plug is transferred directly from the harvesting site through the integrated tool to the recipient site, reversing the conventional sequence and eliminating the harmful friction and separation risks associated with separate delivery devices.
3Device complexity
If conventional harvesting instruments are used without orientation control, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of perpendicular orientation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the orientation function from the harvesting function by adding a separate rod with a head containing three contact points. This segmentation allows the orientation mechanism to be independently designed and optimized, achieving precise perpendicularity while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through modular construction.
Data Source
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AI summary
An implement for orientating a tool at a predetermined angle with respect to a plane of a target surface to.be engaged by the tool includes a rod having a distal end coupled to a head formed with three contact points arranged in a circular array around the longitu axis of the rod, such that the three contact points define a plane. The rod is coupled to the head with the longitudinal axis of the rod the predetermined angle to the plane defined by the three contact points, such that when the three contact points of the rod are in contact with the target surface, the longitudinal axis of the rod is at the predetermined angle with respect to the plane of the target surface.