Coracoid Drill Guide Assembly with Self-Locking Ratchet

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current coracoid drill guides face challenges in accurately drilling bone tunnels due to anatomical variations and are not suitable for smaller K-wires, often leading to misalignment and breakage of the coracoid fragment.

Innovation Solution

A coracoid drill guide assembly with a smaller inner diameter sleeve and a self-locking ratchet mechanism, allowing for precise placement of a 1.3 mm K-wire and enabling safe spacing of the drill from the patient's head, with an aimer arm extending at a non-intersecting angle for accurate bone tunnel marking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a standard drill guide with larger sleeve inner diameter is used, then it can accommodate standard K-wires, but it cannot accurately guide smaller 1.3 mm K-wires for precise bone tunnel placement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebone tunnel placement accuracyVSAvoidcompatibility with different K-wire sizes

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The drill guide assembly features a sleeve with a smaller inner diameter (1.4 mm) specifically designed to accommodate 1.3 mm K-wires, providing precise local guidance for bone tunnel placement while maintaining overall guide functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies the sleeve inner diameter parameter from standard larger sizes to 1.4 mm, enabling accurate guidance of smaller 1.3 mm K-wires and improving measurement precision for bone tunnel placement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If a three arm thumb puncher drill guide is used, then it can drill bone tunnels in the coracoid process, but it is difficult to place in the joint and not self-locking

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of placement in jointVSAvoidself-locking capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The drill guide assembly incorporates a self-locking ratchet mechanism that automatically locks the sleeve in place once the assembly is secured to bone, eliminating the need for manual locking operations and improving reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The assembly is divided into separable components including a removable sleeve and ratchet mechanism, allowing for easier placement and adjustment within the joint while maintaining self-locking functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Object-affected harmful factors

If current coracoid drill guides with larger size are used, then they can accommodate standard drilling equipment, but they require larger incisions and cannot safely space the power drill from the patient's head

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety distance from patient's headVSAvoidincision size

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of reducing the drill bit size, the patent inverts the approach by using a smaller overall guide assembly with a correspondingly smaller sleeve, which enables the use of smaller incisions and maintains safe spacing from the patient's head while still accommodating appropriate drilling equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Productivity

If drilling passages at fixed distances is performed, then it simplifies the drilling process, but it causes misalignment when coracoid anatomy varies among individuals

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrilling efficiencyVSAvoidbone tunnel alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The aimer arm extends from the body at a non-intersecting angle, providing dynamic adaptability to accommodate variations in coracoid anatomy among individuals while maintaining consistent bone tunnel spacing and alignment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11950791B2Coracoid drill guide assembly and methods of use thereof

Publication Date: 2024.04.09 SMITH & NEPHEW ORTHOPAEDICS

AI summary

A coracoid drill guide assembly includes a body having a cylindrical channel on each side of the body for receiving a drill guide sleeve. The sleeves of the assembly have a 1.4 mm inner diameter to guide a 1.3 mm (or smaller) K-wire through the sleeve. An aimer arm extends from the body at a non-intersecting angle with the drill sleeve. The assembly also has a self-locking ratchet mechanism to lock the sleeve in place once the assembly has been secured to bone.