Bone Screw Driver Sterile Insertion Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone screw insertion methods often result in contamination due to direct human contact with the screw, which can compromise the sterility and success of bone fusion procedures, especially when multiple sizes and orientations of bone screws are required for varying surgical needs.
Innovation Solution
A bone screw driver design featuring a screw engagement region with a shaft aperture, resilient members, and shaft projections that allows for the removal and insertion of bone screws without direct physician contact, maintaining sterility and facilitating the use of a screw retainer to house multiple sizes of bone screws.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the physician directly handles the bone screw to select and insert it, then the operation is simple and direct, but the bone screw becomes contaminated and loses sterility
Solution Approach 1:
The driver shaft serves as an intermediary tool between the physician's hand and the bone screw. The physician operates the driver shaft, which then engages with the bone screw through the shaft aperture and resilient members, transferring rotational force without requiring direct contact between the physician's hand and the screw. This mediator approach maintains sterility while enabling operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The driver shaft is designed to automatically engage with the bone screw when inserted into the shaft aperture. The resilient members automatically contact the screw shaft and provide engagement without requiring manual manipulation or direct handling of the screw by the physician. The system serves itself by using the driver shaft's structure to accomplish the engagement function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sized bone screws are stored in a container, then the physician can select the appropriate screw for different procedures, but the risk of contamination increases with handling
Solution Approach 1:
The driver shaft acts as a sterile intermediary that allows the physician to select and retrieve bone screws from the container without direct hand contact. The driver shaft engages with the screw through the aperture system, enabling retrieval while maintaining the sterile barrier between the physician and the screw.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical action of picking and handling screws with fingers is replaced by the driver shaft's mechanical engagement system. The driver shaft's shaft aperture and resilient members create a mechanical interface that retrieves the screw without requiring direct manual handling, thus reducing contamination risk.
3Productivity
If the bone screw is inserted directly without a driver shaft, then the insertion is faster, but the sterility of the screw cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The driver shaft is a sterile intermediary tool that the physician handles, while the bone screw remains in a sterile state throughout the process. The driver shaft engages with the screw through the shaft aperture and resilient members, allowing the screw to be inserted without the physician's hand contacting it, thus maintaining sterility while enabling efficient operation.
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
This design reduces the risk of contamination and enhances the success of bone fusion procedures by allowing for the selection and insertion of appropriate bone screws while maintaining sterility, thereby improving surgical outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
a first resilient member, and a first shaft projection. The shaft aperture receives at least a portion of the screw shaft, the first resilient member engages the screw shaft to inhibit movement of the screw shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A bone screw driver (12) for inserting a bone screw (14) into a bone region (218A) includes a driver shaft (12B) that selectively engages the bone screw (14). The bone screw (14) includes a screw threaded region (14A) and a screw engagement region (14B). The screw engagement region (14B) includes a screw shaft (14D) and an engager ring (14E). The driver shaft (12B) includes a shaft aperture (322), a first resilient member (324A), and a first shaft projection (326A). The shaft aperture (322) receives at least a portion of the screw shaft (14D), the first resilient member (324A) engages the screw shaft (14D) to inhibit movement of the screw shaft (14D), and the first shaft projection (326A) engages the engager ring (14E) so that rotation of the driver shaft (12B) results in rotation of the bone screw (14). With this design, in certain embodiments, the bone screw (14) can be removed with the bone screw driver (12) from a screw retainer (16) that retains the bone screw (14), and inserted into the bone region (218A) without the physician contacting with the bone screw (14). This reduces the likelihood of contaminating the bone screw (14) and increases the likelihood of success for the procedure.