Contourable Plate for Maxilla Mandible Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for stabilizing a patient's maxilla and mandible to promote bone healing are inefficient in terms of installation time and may not be safe or effective in restricting movement between the two jaw components.
Innovation Solution
A contourable plate system with deformable main bodies and hooks, along with threaded fasteners and wires, is used to securely attach the plates to the maxilla and mandible, allowing for customization to the patient's jaw shape and minimizing damage to surrounding tissues during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wire is used in combination with various devices to retain the maxilla and mandible, then the stabilization function is achieved, but the installation time is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into modular components: a plate with multiple pre-formed hooks, separate fasteners, and wire segments. This segmentation allows for rapid assembly where each component serves a specific function, eliminating the need for complex pre-assembly or custom fabrication during surgery, thus reducing installation time while maintaining stabilization reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The hooks are pre-formed on the plate during manufacturing, and the plate geometry is pre-adapted to common jaw structures. This preliminary preparation of critical features eliminates time-consuming intraoperative shaping and customization steps, allowing the surgeon to directly install the device without extensive pre-processing, thereby reducing installation time while ensuring reliable stabilization
2Adaptability or versatility
If the main body is deformable to match jaw shape, then the adaptability to patient anatomy is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plate exhibits non-uniform properties: rigid sections provide structural stability and maintain overall shape, while specific deformable zones allow localized bending to match patient anatomy. This local differentiation enables the device to achieve adaptability without requiring the entire structure to be complex or fully flexible, thus improving jaw shape adaptation while controlling overall structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The plate transitions from a static, rigid form to a dynamically adaptable structure during installation. The deformable sections allow the plate to be bent and shaped intraoperatively to match the patient's specific jaw contours, providing customization without requiring a completely complex adjustable mechanism, thereby achieving adaptability with controlled complexity
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple openings and hooks are included on the plate, then the functionality for securing and wire engagement is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is designed as a universal component with standardized hook configurations and opening patterns that can accommodate various jaw sizes and anatomies. This universality allows the same plate design to be used across different patients without requiring custom manufacturing, thereby improving functionality and adaptability while reducing the need for extreme manufacturing precision for each individual case
Solution Approach 2:
The plate geometry, including opening positions and hook locations, can be varied through controlled parameter changes in the manufacturing process. By establishing standardized parameter ranges during manufacturing rather than requiring precise custom fabrication for each patient, the device achieves enhanced functionality for different anatomies while maintaining feasible manufacturing precision requirements
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the plate thickness is reduced to minimize tissue damage, then the harm to surrounding tissues is reduced, but the strength of the plate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The plate utilizes composite construction combining materials with high strength-to-weight ratios, such as medical-grade titanium or polymer composites. This allows the plate to maintain adequate structural strength for stabilization while reducing overall thickness and mass, thereby minimizing tissue damage during installation and healing without compromising the mechanical strength required for reliable maxilla-mandible fixation
Solution Approach 2:
The plate incorporates curved and contoured geometries that distribute mechanical stresses more evenly throughout the structure. This curved design allows the plate to achieve sufficient strength with reduced thickness compared to flat, rigid designs, as the curvature provides structural efficiency that minimizes stress concentration points, thereby reducing tissue damage while maintaining adequate plate strength
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device that may include a main body and a plurality of hooks. The main body includes a length extending along an axis between first and second ends. The main body may be deformable such that the axis forms an arch shape corresponding to a shape of a mandibular jaw or a maxillary jaw. The main body may include a plurality of sections each having first and second edges defining a first width and a plurality of openings disposed between the first and second edges and extending through a thickness of the main body. The main body may include a plurality of recessed portions defining a second width disposed between adjacent ones of the sections. Each of the hooks may extend from a corresponding one of the sections.