Bone Stent With End Cap for Spinal Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Delivering regenerative medicine or fusion materials to the spinal intradiscal space without damaging the intervertebral disc is challenging, as traditional methods risk injuring the disc, and existing paths may heal and close, preventing future therapy deliveries.

Innovation Solution

A bone stent is positioned within a bony access channel extending from the vertebra through an endplate, with an end cap that allows post-operative reintroduction of materials to the intradiscal space and seals the access to maintain therapy delivery pathways.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If regenerative medicine or fusion materials are delivered through the annulus fibrosus of the disc, then access to the intradiscal space is achieved, but the disc becomes damaged and disc degeneration is accelerated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to intradiscal spaceVSAvoiddisc damage and degeneration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a bone stent as an intermediary device that creates a controlled bony access channel through the vertebral body and endplate to reach the intradiscal space. This mediator allows material delivery without direct puncture of the annulus fibrosus, thereby avoiding disc damage while maintaining access capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the access pathway from the annular structure and relocates it to a bony access channel through the vertebral body. By separating the delivery path from the annulus fibrosus, the system eliminates the harmful interaction between delivery tools and the disc structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If an alternative path through bony vertebral anatomy is created to access the intervertebral disc, then access without annular disruption is achieved, but the path heals and closes, preventing future therapy deliveries

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavoidance of annular disruptionVSAvoid持续性 access for future deliveries

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The bone stent is inserted and positioned within the bony access channel before the channel can heal and close. This preliminary placement of the stent maintains the patent channel open and prevents natural healing closure, ensuring long-term reliability for repeated therapy deliveries through the same path

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The bone stent serves as a permanent structural support that maintains the bony access channel in an open state continuously. This continuity prevents the channel from closing due to healing processes, ensuring sustained access for multiple therapy deliveries over time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS11723704B2Bone stent and port

Publication Date: 2023.08.15 WARSAW ORTHOPEDIC INC

AI summary

A device is disclosed that includes a bone stent positioned within a bony access channel formed within a vertebra. The bony access channel may extends from an outer end of the vertebra through an endplate. The device includes an end cap attached to a proximal end portion of the bone stent and is configured to, post-operatively, open to allow a reintroduction of a material to a spinal intradiscal space or intervertebral disc and to seal access to the spinal intradiscal space or the intervertebral disc after the reintroduction of the material.