Cannulated Bone Screw with Tapered Tip and Dual-Start Threads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical screws require the use of a pilot hole and often a mallet for initial threading into bone, which increases surgical time, requires additional instruments, and risks misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A cannulated surgical screw with a tapered tip and dual-start threads, featuring a channel through the body and an introducer with a smaller diameter than the tapered tip, designed to reduce the torque required for initial insertion without the need for a pilot hole or mallet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a pilot hole is used to aid in alignment of the screw, then alignment precision is improved, but surgical time increases and additional instruments are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the pilot hole step from the screw insertion process. The cannulated screw design allows the screw itself to serve as the alignment guide, eliminating the need for a separate pilot hole drilling step while maintaining alignment precision and reducing surgical time.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannulated screw performs multiple functions: it provides structural fixation, serves as an alignment guide during insertion, and allows for guided wire placement. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate pilot hole instrumentation while maintaining alignment capabilities.
2Productivity
If a mallet is used to hammer the screw into the bone, then insertion speed is improved, but alignment precision deteriorates and misalignment risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cannulated design acts as an intermediary mechanism that allows controlled insertion without direct hammering. The hollow channel enables guidewire passage, allowing the screw to be advanced smoothly into the bone while maintaining alignment, eliminating the need for mallet hammering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the insertion method from high-force hammering to controlled threading. The thread geometry and cannulated design work together to enable smooth, controlled advancement of the screw into the bone, maintaining alignment precision while achieving adequate insertion speed.
3Strength
If traditional threading is used without reduced torque features, then fixation strength is maintained, but insertion difficulty increases requiring pilot hole and mallet
Solution Approach 1:
The screw features localized thread design variations, including modified thread geometry at the distal end and cannulated sections, that reduce insertion torque requirements in specific regions while maintaining overall fixation strength through the threaded portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannulated design and thread modifications prepare the screw for easier insertion by reducing initial torque requirements before full threading engagement. The hollow channel and modified thread geometry work together to facilitate smooth initial insertion while maintaining fixation strength.
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
The surgical screw effectively reduces the torque needed for insertion, eliminating the need for a pilot hole and mallet, thereby decreasing surgical time and improving precision while maintaining sturdy fixation within the bone.
Implementation Method 1
The distal end of the cannulated body can have a tapered tip
Implementation Method 2
The plurality of threads include a primary thread and a secondary thread. A lead of the primary thread is greater than a pitch of the plurality of threads.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical screw for fixation into bone or soft tissue. The surgical screw includes a cannulated body having a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end of the cannulated body has a tapered tip and a plurality of threads extend around the exterior of the cannulated body. An introducer extends distally from the tapered tip and has a diameter (which can be variable or constant) which is less than a diameter of the tapered tip. The surgical screw is cannulated such that a channel extends through the body from the proximal end to (and sometimes through) the distal end.