Composite Surgical Guide for Rigid Drilling and Precise Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical guides face challenges in achieving high placement accuracy on patient anatomy while maintaining sufficient rigidity and material strength for guiding surgical instruments, particularly due to difficulties in aligning with complex anatomical surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A surgical guide comprising a metal guide with a customized main plate and an integrated arm, combined with a plastic reference, where the arm is coupled to a plastic reference surface for precise alignment, utilizing additive manufacturing processes to create a rigid and flexible guide that can accurately engage both bone and complex anatomical surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a surgical guide is made entirely of metal to ensure rigidity and strength for guiding surgical instruments, then the rigidity and material strength are sufficient, but the flexibility to be accurately placed on complex patient anatomy through contact with body surfaces is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical guide combines metal and plastic materials in a single integrated structure. The metal portions provide rigidity and strength for guiding surgical instruments, while the plastic portions provide flexibility and adaptability for conforming to complex patient anatomy surfaces. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by allowing each material to fulfill its optimal function within the same device.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a surgical guide is made entirely of plastic to ensure flexibility and accuracy in placement on patient anatomy, then the flexibility to be accurately placed is improved, but the rigidity and material strength sufficient to guide surgical drilling and cutting instruments is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical guide uses a composite structure where plastic components provide the necessary flexibility and conformability to patient anatomy, while metal components provide the required rigidity and strength for guiding surgical drilling and cutting instruments. This resolves the contradiction by distributing functional requirements across different materials within the same device.
3Measurement precision
If metal features are used to engage patient anatomy surfaces, then the rigidity and precision alignment are improved, but the risk of damage to patient anatomy from contact with harder metal features increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical guide applies different material properties to different functional regions: metal is used for alignment features requiring precision, while plastic is used for contact features requiring softness to avoid damaging patient anatomy. This local differentiation of material quality resolves the contradiction between precision alignment and patient safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The combination of metal and plastic materials allows the guide to have both hard metal features for precise alignment registration and soft plastic features for safe contact with patient anatomy surfaces, resolving the contradiction between precision and harm prevention.
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 combination of metal and plastic materials provides enhanced rigidity and flexibility, allowing for precise alignment and secure mounting of the guide on the patient's anatomy, reducing the risk of damage to soft tissues and improving surgical accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
The first additive manufacturing process can be based on a layer by layer fusion of metal powder using one or more of a laser or an electron beam
Implementation Method 2
The first additive manufacturing process can be based on a layer by layer fusion of metal powder using one or more of a laser or an electron beam
Implementation Method 3
The second additive manufacturing process can be based upon polymer powder fusion (e.g., selective laser sintering of nylon powder)
Implementation Method 4
The second additive manufacturing process can be based upon polymer resin curing (e.g., stereolithography or selective application of radiation to liquid photocurable resin)
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical guide includes a metal guide and a plastic reference formed by additive manufacturing. The metal guide is configured to engage a bone surface of a first body area. The metal guide includes a main plate and an arm. The main plate has an inner surface customized and shaped to the bone surface. The main plate defines mounting guides for securing the main plate to the bone surface and defines a machining guide for drilling or cutting through the bone surface. The arm is formed to the main plate at a proximal end and extends to a distal end. The plastic reference has a reference surface customized and shaped to a surface of a second body area that is physically separated from the first body area.