Cannulated Screw Gauge With Direct Guidewire Depth Readout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screw length measurement devices for surgical procedures are cumbersome, require additional calculations, and are often specific to different-sized screws, increasing procedural difficulty and time due to the need for multiple devices and challenging measurement alignment.
Innovation Solution
A screw length measurement gauge with a tube and measurement rod, featuring adjustable positioning and indicators, allowing for easy determination of guidewire depth within the bone without requiring additional calculations, and maintaining measurement accuracy even when removed from the bone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a typical measurement device is used to determine screw length, then the measurement can be obtained, but additional calculations are required and procedural time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement rod is pre-calibrated with indicators that directly correspond to screw lengths. The interface between the measurement rod and tube is pre-configured to maintain set positioning, so that when the device contacts bone, the measurement is immediately readable without requiring post-measurement calculations or additional processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement function is extracted from the tube and placed on a separate measurement rod. This allows the measurement rod to be independently calibrated and positioned, enabling direct reading of screw length without requiring the surgeon to perform calculations based on guidewire position relative to tube markings.
2Measurement precision
If multiple devices are used for different-sized screws, then accurate measurements can be obtained for each screw size, but device complexity and procedural difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement rod is designed with indicators that can accommodate multiple screw sizes. The interface between the measurement rod and tube allows the measurement rod to be adjustably positioned, enabling a single device to provide accurate measurements for different screw diameters and lengths, eliminating the need for multiple size-specific devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement rod can be adjustably positioned within the tube along its longitudinal axis. This dynamic positioning capability allows the same device to adapt to different screw sizes by adjusting the measurement rod's position, providing universal functionality across multiple screw specifications.
3Measurement precision
If the measurement device is positioned against bone to obtain accurate measurement, then measurement accuracy is maintained, but ease of operation decreases due to difficult alignment and reading
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement rod acts as an intermediary between the guidewire and the tube markings. Instead of requiring the surgeon to directly align and read guidewire position against bone-contacting tube markings, the measurement rod translates this relationship into directly readable indicators that correspond to screw lengths, making the reading process easier while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex mechanical alignment process of lining up guidewire ends or laser markings with tube scale markings is replaced by a simpler system where the measurement rod's indicators directly indicate the measurement. This substitution reduces the mechanical complexity of alignment while preserving measurement accuracy.
4Ease of operation
If the measurement device is removed from bone after measurement, then ease of operation improves, but measurement precision is lost because the device no longer displays the measurement
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement rod is pre-calibrated with indicators that directly correspond to screw lengths. This preliminary calibration ensures that once the measurement is taken, the information is permanently encoded on the measurement rod itself, allowing the device to be removed from bone while retaining full measurement readability without requiring the device to remain in position.
Data Source
AI summary
The presently disclosed depth gauge device includes a tube with a measurement rod inserted into one end of the tube. The measurement rod includes a set of indicators associated with length values. A surgeon may translate the provided depth gauge device over a guidewire, which causes the guidewire to force the measurement rod partially out of the tube. Once the depth gauge device contacts bone, the indicator on the measurement rod that lines up with a designated spot on the tube indicates a guidewire depth into bone, which is equal to a screw length that is needed for the procedure. Additionally, the provided depth gauge device is constructed such that the measurement rod maintains its positioning in the absence of applied force. This enables a surgeon to remove the depth gauge device from the bone or completely from the guidewire when obtaining a measurement reading.