Cervical Vertebrae Fixing Plate with Pinion-Driven Opening and Closing Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cervical vertebrae fixation systems face issues with screw loosening post-surgery, leading to potential damage, such as esophageal injury, and difficulty in easy removal of screws for further operations.
Innovation Solution
A fixing system incorporating an opening and closing member with rack portions and a pinion driver that allows for easy movement between closing and opening positions, preventing screw loosening and facilitating screw removal by engaging the pinion driver with the rack portions to move the opening and closing members on the cervical vertebrae-fixing plate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a screw is inserted into the cervical vertebrae through screw holes in the fixing plate, then the cervical vertebrae can be fixed, but the screw may loosen after surgery causing damage to internal organs
Solution Approach 1:
An opening and closing member is introduced as an intermediary component between the screw and the external environment. This member can cover the screw head when closed, preventing it from loosening, and can be opened when screw removal is needed. The opening and closing member acts as a mediator that provides both protection during the healing period and access when removal is required.
2Reliability
If a loosening prevention member is added to prevent screw loosening, then screw stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The opening and closing member is integrated with the fixing plate structure, merging multiple functions into a single component. The opening and closing member serves both as a cover for the screw hole and as a mechanism for preventing screw loosening. This integration reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall device complexity while maintaining the loosening prevention function.
3Reliability
If a loosening prevention member is added to prevent screw loosening, then screw stability is improved, but the ease of screw removal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The opening and closing member is designed to be dynamic rather than static. It can transition between a closed position that prevents screw loosening and an open position that allows easy screw removal. This dynamic capability enables the system to provide both screw stability during the healing period and ease of removal when needed, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
4Reliability
If the opening and closing member is designed to cover screw holes, then screw loosening is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The opening and closing member is segmented into multiple functional parts, including a covering portion that closes the screw hole and a rack portion that enables movement control. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system simplicity. The rack portion specifically engages with a pinion driver to enable controlled movement between open and closed positions.
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 system effectively prevents screw loosening and allows for easy removal of screws, reducing the risk of internal damage and simplifying subsequent surgical procedures by using a pinion driver to control the movement of the opening and closing members.
Implementation Method 1
the opening and closing members include covering portions for covering the screw holes and rack portions which are branched from the covering portions and have teeth thereon, and the driver is a pinion driver having a pinion-shaped front end portion and when the pinion-shaped front end portion of the pinion driver is engaged with the teeth of the rack portion and then rotated, the rack portion is moved so that each of the opening and closing members is moved between the closing position and the opening position on the fixing plate
Data Source
AI summary
A fixing apparatus for cervical vertebrae in which in which a fixing plate is made to be in proximity with cervical vertebrae and screws are inserted into the cervical vertebrae through screw holes formed in the fixing plate, includes an opening and closing member that opens and closes the screw holes while being moved between a closing position for covering the screw holes and an opening position for opening the screw hole on the fixing plate.